The Twisted Warlock
by Henate
Summary: Arthur died, and Merlin witnesses his first lunar eclipse. The next morning everything he knew has changed. He finds himself in a world where he has been evil. However, his appearance caused Evil Merlin to vanish. Can he right this world's wrongs, and keep Arthur alive, or will he choose to return to his own reality, knowing full and well that Arthur will be dead if he does?
1. Prologue

****Reviews are much appreciated! It keeps my motivation up, and helps me pinpoint what I need to work on when it comes to my writing! I hope you enjoy this story and where this journey takes us!****

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 **Prologue**

The sun had set behind the mountains, the red shades the sunset brought with it already having disappeared several hours ago. Above him stars littered the skies, and a full moon was in full view of the young warlock as he sat by the Lakes of Avalon, after just having suffered one the most devastating losses of his lifetime.

His gaze was aimed up towards the heavens above him, watching the moon with swollen, blood-shot eyes, and desperately wishing that Arthur was with him, whilst regretting the poor choices he had made which had led up to this very moment.

Above him, the moon begun to disappear, slowly but surely the bright orb that was the moon gradually vanished. Merlin propped himself up, observing the lunar eclipse with keen interest, unaware of the nature of this phenomena nor what was occurring. He had never seen such a thing occur in all his years wandering this earth, although he still had many years left to live.

The moon disappeared completely, only a ring of light appearing where the moon had once been.

Unbeknown to him, his eyes flashed golden, and as his magic released in a burst from the very core of his being, and not a moment later his eyes rolled back into his skull, and he fell limply to the ground with a soft thud.

He awoke the following morning, groaning lightly as he pushed himself into a seated position. Sluggish eyes trailed around his surroundings. The little camp he had made the night before had vanished, as if it had never existed in the first place, which he found rather peculiar. He dismissed the oddity of it as mere exhaustion having caused him hallucinations. That would also explain what he had seen in the skies. The moon would not suddenly disappear on it's own, now would it? Most certainly not.

His hand grazed over the back of his skull, and as he ran his hand over a bump he couldn't help but to wince. How had that happened? He couldn't remember hitting his head on anything, not even when Morgana had thrust him backwards in her attempts to rid herself of him.

He spent a few moments checking himself for any other injuries. He reasoned that perhaps he had hit his head after all, but the rush of the moment had numbed the pain and made him unaware of his injury, or he could always have literally passed out from sheer exhaustion and hit his head as he fell.

His gaze trailed out towards the Lake of Avalon, and he felt sick to his stomach as he thought of his failure. He would have to venture back to Camelot and tell everyone of Arthur's death. He couldn't bear the thought of seeing grief upon their faces, especially not when it came to Guinevere and Gaius. However, waiting any longer would not be fair on them, and thus he gathered his bearings and begun the long walk back towards Camelot, contemplating what he should say when he came face to face with Guinevere and Gaius, and if he'd still be able to call Camelot home upon his return. He dreaded the risk of losing his friends and ending up on his own. Alone.

The travel to Camelot took six days on foot, as Merlin was in no rush to get there, and yet his feet simply continued to carry him forwards. He was too absorbed in his grief as he passed through the smaller villages to notice that the people pulled their children inside their homes and barred the doors shut from the inside as he wandered through the village. He attempted to rent a room in one of the inns in one of the larger villages, but the overwhelming silence upon his entry, and the blatant lies the Innkeeper told him let him know that he was not wanted there. He couldn't understand why, but perhaps he simply didn't look like he had enough money to pay for a room for the night, given his scruffy and dirtied appearance, and his gloomy demeanor, though that didn't really make any sense either.

He ended up camping out in the forests just outside of the small villages he passed through, nobody stumbling upon his camp on any occasion. It was as if people were avoiding him. He started to wonder if he had a nasty body odor, and if he should wash before meeting Guinevere and Gaius again. He decided that it would be a good idea.

A days walk away from Camelot he stopped at a creek near one of the roads, pulling his tunic off his body, wetting his neckerchief and using it to wash himself down, taking great care in washing underneath his armpits and getting the gruff, dirt and dust off his face. He had been feeling rather rough and unkempt, and despite the gloomy nature of his circumstances being clean helped lighten his mood, of only a tiny tad.

He heard hooves on the dirt road, rapidly approaching from the direction in which Camelot lay. Could it be a patrol? It was highly likely that it was a patrol, and if he was lucky they'd send a knight riding back with him, shortening his travel time considerably. His hands grasped for his tunic, pulling the fabric over his wet hair and body, making his way towards the road whilst simultaneously pulling on his boots.

"Hey!" Merlin called out as he caught glimpse of the approaching knights wearing the typical red cloak with the Pendragon sigil. It was a relief beyond imagination. "Over here!" He called out, hope being transmitted in his voice. At that moment however, something he did not expect occurred. The knights stopped abruptly. "Fall back! Fall back!" A knight shouted. He found it strange for the knights to wear helmets on a regular patrol, but he found it even weirder at the fact that they headed back for Camelot the very moment they saw him, instead of offering any assistance in helping him get back.

"Wait! WAIT! Take me with you!" Merlin shouted towards them, but his pleads fell on deaf ears. As soon as they had appeared, they were now gone. He did his best to come up with a logical reasoning for why they would just **leave** him here, with a full day walk back, at best. It didn't make sense. The villagers lack of desire to have anything to do with him, the knights sudden turn around and departure.

Something was terribly wrong. He had a sinking feeling in his gut, and no matter what he tried, he simply couldn't shake it. He could understand suspicion of strangers so close to a large scale battle. Heck, he could even _possibly_ understand the patrol turning around after seeing him, to head off in advance to relay the fact that he was returning without Arthur. But it just made to sense. They could have so easily just picked him up and brought him along with them.

Then a thought struck him. What if something terrible had happened to Camelot when he was gone. What if the remainder of Morgana's forces, although driven back had ceased the opportunity to directly attack the citadel. Seeing Camelot red just moments earlier eased his mind a little, as that would have been a tell-tale sign that Camelot had been able to hold off an attack. He could only speculate as he resumed the walk back. He'd have to get there in order to find out what had truly happened.

An occasional scout came riding in his direction, before turning around and heading off in the direction he had come from once he was spotted. The scouts only became more and more frequent the closer he came to Camelot, and he felt a knot deep in his stomach. Something was wrong, but he had no idea what it could be.

The Citadel came into view as he got closer, moving down the hillside and preparing to walk through the last stretch of forest. Camelot was still standing atleast, and the citadel was fully intact. He couldn't help but to feel relieved. Gaius and Guinevere were most likely safe from harm.

When he came to the gates, he was met by a sight he was not prepared for.

A large mass of knights, with weapons drawn. Archers on top of the walls, arrows pointed in his direction, and in front of them all, wearing a full set of armor stood Arthur. And he was staring at him with the most hateful and fearful set of eyes he had ever seen on a man before in his life. He radiated bravery, but his eyes betrayed his true emotions, as they did for all the men that stood with Arthur in what almost looked like a last stand, against something.

Arthur was alive. How could this be? He certainly wasn't complaining about the fact that Arthur was alive, not one bit, but now he found himself utterly confused. All the knights and archers with their weapons drawn, pointed towards him. Arthur himself watched him like he was a threat, a danger.

"Arthur.. What is going on?" Merlin wearily asked as he approached the mass of people. When the Archers fully drew their bows with shaky arms, readjusting their after him as he moved, he came to a halt.

"Why are you here, _Merlin_?" Arthur spoke, each word leaving his mouth like he was spitting poison.

"Arthur.. Camelot is my home. I don't know what's going on.. Why are you all doing this? I would never do anything to harm you, anyone." Merlin spoke, his voice portraying frustration and desperation.

"Camelot is not your home. Not after all that you've done. Leave this place, and don't come back." Arthur spat out towards him. Something was wrong, all too wrong and messed up. Arthur was alive, but everyone treated him like he was.. like he was Morgana. Like he had done all the things that Morgana had done. Nothing made sense, everything was just wrong!

"Arthur!" Merlin let out as he took a few steps forwards, he let out a gasp as the Archers released their arrows. This couldn't be happening.


	2. Chapter 1

****Thank you so much for the reviews, follows and favorites! Here is the next chapter of this story! Enjoy!****

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Desperation

 _"Arthur!" Merlin let out as he took a few steps forwards, he let out a gasp as the Archers released their arrows. This couldn't be happening._

Instinctively his eyes flashed golden, stopping the forwards momentum of the arrows that had been rained down upon him. The projectiles floated in the air all around them, and he could see the faces of the archers and all the knights go pale. It was as if they expected him to shoot the arrows right back at them. As if they expected him to hurt them. He couldn't take it.. He didn't want any of these people to fear him. He didn't want _**anyone**_ to fear him! He didn't want to hurt anybody, and he certainly did not want to attack anybody! He let the arrows drop to the ground, a gasp of relief could be heard from the crowd of knights. His gaze trailed to Arthur, noticing an expression of terror briefly washing over the man's face. And then he had that look, the look he had when he had found out about Merlin's secret after the battle at Camlann. Everything was wrong. It shouldn't be this way. Something terrible had happened, and he had no idea what it was.

"I do not wish to fight you! I don't want to hurt anyone!" Merlin called out in a pleading voice, desperation visible in all of his facial features. Arthur had to listen to him, he was the only one who could do something about this situation. He needed to see Gaius! Gaius was the only one who could know what had happened, how all of this could be possible. He needed Gaius' help in breaking whatever had caused all of this.

"Please, Arthur! You must believe me!" Merlin pleaded to the man that had once been his best friend.

"This is your final warning, Warlock. Leave." Arthur spit out towards him, disgust blended with terror and poorly hidden behind a mask of bravery.

"Arthur! Don't do this, please!" He pleaded as he took a small step backwards and away from the King of Camelot. His mind was racing. None of the pleads he was making was getting through to them. Had they been enchanted whilst he had been gone? Was Morgana still alive and had she done this? It didn't make sense. None of this made sense to him. The only thing that could make sense was an enchantment, but that still didn't explain why Arthur was still alive.

"I don't want to leave, Arthur! This is my home! I belong here, with all of you! I need to see Gaius! You've been enchanted and I need his help in breaking it! I don't know what to do, please Arthur. Don't do this!" He let out, tears now finding their way through his eyes, running down his cheeks as they were involuntarily released.

Arthur stepped in with the line of Knights, raising his sword into the air. It wasn't Excalibur. Why wasn't Arthur wielding Excalibur? "For the love of Camelot!" He roared, dragging his sword down through the air, aiming the tip towards Merlin. The knights roared, and the archers drew their bows, releasing a rain of arrows down towards Merlin from above, just as the Knights begun to charge forwards shields raised and their swords pointed in his direction.

This couldn't be happening. This must all be a terrible nightmare. He had run out of logical explanations to all of this. It had to be a nightmare. It had to be!

"I don't want to fight you!" Merlin cried out as his eyes flashed golden once again, stopping the movement of the arrows before they struck him, the projectiles falling to the ground. In a few seconds the knights would be upon him, all of them attempting to cut him down where he stood. He felt sick to his stomach, his mind was racing, and his heart pounding in his chest.

Instinctively Merlin flinched as a knight got close, his eyes flashing golden as his sword got dangerously close to his body. With a thrust the knight was thrown backwards and to the ground, losing his sword in the process. He seemed unharmed, much to Merlin's relief as he searched for his lost sword shortly after impact with the ground.

Several swords were slashed out after him, and like the one that came before them, their attacks were repelled in a harmless fashion, disarming the knights in the process. He stumbled backwards as the knights pushed forwards towards his location. He shook his head furiously, begging to wake up, begging for this nightmare to end.

" **I don't want to do this!** " Merlin screamed out, large currents of tears running down his face. **"Please Stop! I don't want to hurt you!** " Merlin pleaded as Arthur came before him. He couldn't do anything to Arthur. He wouldn't! He didn't want to risk hurting his best friend as he had the other knights. "You've brought this upon yourself, monster!" Arthur barked out as his sword swung. Merlin stumbled backwards, raising his arm defensively, protecting his torso in the process. The sharp metal of the blade cut into the flesh of his upper arm, almost as if in slow motion. His arm had been over his heart. Arthur had tried to kill him.

He let out a yelp of pain taking several steps backwards after getting cut, his other hand cupping the wound he had suffered as blood poured out of it, hugging the arm close to his body. It felt more like he had taken a stab to the heart, rather than a cut to the arm. Arthur had called him a monster, and he had tried to kill him. That pain ran deeper than anyone could ever imagine. Arthur who had accepted him for who he was only a few days prior, was now calling him a monster, and assaulting him like he was the most evil and dangerous person in the world. Like he needed to die, in order for the world to be safe.

He continued to backpedal, his tearful eyes set upon Arthur for the longest of whiles, and as he turned heel and started running away from the walls of Camelot, a victorious and joyous cheer could he heard originating from the knight's location. This was no nightmare, he thought to himself his gaze trailing towards his arm, seeing his wound with blurred vision. He should have woken up by now. This wound felt too real to be a part of a dream. He wasn't dreaming, no. He was fully awake and something terrible had happened to the world. He was beginning to fear that this terrible thing was him. But he didn't understand, he never wanted to hurt a fly.

Nobody but Gaius and Arthur had known of his magic, but Arthur had died at the Lake of Avalon. But he wasn't dead. Arthur was very much still alive, and everyone had known of his magic. The look on their faces when he had stopped the arrows haunted his mind. They had expected him to fire them back towards them, they had expected him to kill them. All the knights had an expression of facing imminent death upon their faces. Arthur had watched him with fear and disgust.

He needed to learn of what had happened. He needed to know what he had done for everyone to be terrified of him, but nobody wanted anything to do with him, he couldn't reach Gaius. He didn't have his book. He came to a halt as a thought crossed his mind. Kilgarrah.

Kilgarrah would have no choice but to come to his call. If anyone could help him, it would have to be The Great Dragon. Kilgarrah would be the only one who could help him in learning the truth of what had happened. He was his only hope. Merlin could only beg and hope that he was still a dragon lord, and that Kilgarrah was still alive. He didn't dare to think of the alternative, for if Kilgarrah was gone, and he was no longer a dragon lord, the he would have nowhere to turn.

Merlin continued on his path away from Camelot, making his way toward the clearing near the castle, the location where he had called for Kilgarrah so many times in the past. He needed answers, and most of all he needed to see a familiar face who did not want him dead.

Desperately he was clinging to this last piece of hope. Kilgarrah had to come. He had to.

He comes to a halt in the middle of the clearing taking a deep breath as he continues to clutch to the wound on his arm. He should probably bind it, but he has other things on his mind right now. He was feeling desperate, broken and most of all alone. He feared that if he waited the time it took to bind his wound, then his last hope of any resolution to this situation would disappear.

And then he threw his head back, shouting from deep within as he sounded the call for Kilgarrah.

" **O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!"** His heart was pounding in his chest as he waited, a lump forming in his throat as he counted the seconds. Any minute now. He stared up towards the skies, waiting, and waiting. And after an hour he felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Kilgarrah wasn't coming. Panic begun to spread within his body as he threw his head back once more, shouting the call with a desperation so grave, that it rivaled the shout he had made when Arthur was slipping away. Tears sprouted from his eyes as he relentlessly continued. No Kilgarrah. The great dragon was not heeding his calls. He wasn't coming. He was all alone, with no one to turn to, nobody to seek advice from.

His knees touched the ground as his legs gave away, the young warlock gritting his teeth as he released the most heart-wrenching cries that had ever come from a man. There were no one around to hear, no one he could go to for comfort, no one he could rely on for support. It felt like he was in hell. A living hell he could not escape from, and in his desperation and in his grief, he cried. He cried for the loss of his home, and all his loved ones, because he was alone and because he feared the future. He had nowhere to go, and the thought that he may have, in a twisted reality, hurt Arthur and Camelot.. It broke him on the inside.

Several hours had passed, and tears no longer came. He did not know how many hours he had spent in this clearing, but his bleed had stopped on it's own, although he had lost quite a bit of blood in the process. The sun had also set, and it was nighttime. The air was getting cold, and mist escaped from his mouth as he exhaled. Tiredly he gathered himself to his feet, binding his wound tightly with his neckerchief, at the lack of anything else to use, before he proceeded to wander into the woods, to gather firewood. He needed to keep going. Surely there must be a way to undo this. If Arthur and the rest were enchanted, there would still be a way to undo the enchantment. There had to be a way. Deep down, they all knew him for who he truly was, not this monstrous, destructive and evil figure this enchantment had twisted their minds into seeing. He clung to this last piece of hope, that whatever had been done, could be undone.

Firewood was piled into his arms and brought back to the edge of the forest, with good view of the clearing. Maybe Kilgarrah had simply been too far away to get back here in a mere couple of hours. He'd just have to stick around for a little while, give him some time.

"Forbaernan"He muttered, his eyes flashing golden. The wood caught on fire that very same moment, it's light and warmth spreading in the nearby area, pushing the cold out of Merlin's body as time went on. His knees were pulled up tightly to his chest as he leaned his back against a nearby tree, a keen eye aimed out towards the clearing and the skies above. "Come on, you stupid dragon.." he muttered under his breath.

He must have fallen asleep, only to be awoken by an echo of his name running through his mind. _"Merlin"_ His eyes shot open, his gaze flickering around the area. He had heard this during his first night in Camelot, and then the thought struck him like a hammer.

Kilgarrah was still in the cave underneath Camelot.

That was also the moment that Merlin realized that this was no enchantment. Nobody but a Dragon Lord could force The Great Dragon back into the cave. Nobody but himself could do such a thing, unless.. His father was still alive.


	3. Chapter 2

_That was also the moment that Merlin realized that this was no enchantment. Nobody but a Dragon Lord could force The Great Dragon back into the cave. Nobody but himself could do such a thing, unless.. His father was still alive._

His father could still be alive somewhere. He could have a second chance at getting to know him, to have a father to look up to. He could still very much be living with his mother for all he knew. Maybe he had a father to help raise him in this world. He could have had a father who loved him dearly, and taught him everything he knew, who had helped him learn to control his magic. His father could help him, if he was still alive. He didn't even know if the dragon had heard him or not, or simply sensed his presence like he had in the past. It didn't matter. Kilgarrah was still his biggest chance of resolving whatever had happened in this world, and getting to him would be his first course of action. But in order to get to him, he needed to infiltrate Camelot and get down to the cave where the dragon was being held. And he needed to do so unseen, or else he feared what he may be forced to do.

It was still late at night, however, and Merlin made the decision that if he would need all the energy he could get, should he have any hopes of getting in and out of Camelot with his life intact. He rested his back against the tree again, before he silently drifted off to sleep, the young warlock being beyond exhausted from all that had happened. But as he slept, he suffered from nightmares. Terrible nightmares of himself and his actions.

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 _He approached the gates of Camelot, guards running ahead in order to alert the citadel of his arrival, grief upon their expressions. Upon setting foot inside the citadel, guards were forced against the walls, and through the force of magic, their necks were snapped. Buildings went up in flame at the mutter of a word and a flash of golden in his eyes. Women and children were fleeing in terror, knights were attempting to stop him, first with words of reason, which was quickly followed by acts of violence as he sent them flying like rag-dolls into the nearby walls. Blood and the corpses of innocents and knights alike littered the streets, Camelot's lower town was in flames, and he walked forwards with purpose. He was met in the courtyard of the castle by several knights, all of them pleading for him to stop, a familiar voice shouting at him and asking why he was doing this. It had been sir Leon who had spoken. They all watched him, but not with disgust and hatred, but with pure confusion, frustration and despair. It looked almost as if they did not with to harm him. However, he was not one who would listen to pleads, his arm raising before him as he answered sir Leon's question. "I want nothing but to see Camelot burn, the same way Camelot burned my kin at the stake" A thrust of magic sent the knights flying backwards, littering across the ground as another flash of golden and the mutter of a spell set their bodies aflame, cries of agony filling the courtyard._

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Merlin awoke with a jolt, a scream escaping his mouth as he found himself drenched with sweat. He quickly reached the conclusion that it had only been a nightmare, but even so, it had felt far too real. His heart was pounding furiously in his chest as he struggled to catch his breath, almost as if he had been running for several kilometers prior. Each detail of the nightmare stuck to his mind, refusing to disappear like most dreams usually did. He could have sworn that he had smelled the smoke and the blood in the air, it all had been so very life-like, and what scared him the most was the fact that he had seen it through his own eyes, as if he had truly done those things. He couldn't possibly have done such things, but they almost felt like memories. He leaned his back against the tree again, tilting his head backwards and up towards the skies above. The sun was rising, and it was now officially morning.

He gathered himself and rose to his feet, removing his neckerchief and inspecting the wound on his arm. It was gone, only a pink streak left where there had been a deep gash the night before. He hadn't tried healing his own wound, and yet here it was, almost fully healed. Maybe he had done it in his sleep, during the nightmare, his subconscious desperately wanting to undo the damage he was doing in the dream.. Or maybe, this was an after effect of what had happened in the Crystal Cave. Perhaps he was like the High Priestesses now, where no mortal blade could kill him. He truly did not know what to think of it.

He foraged for some berries and edible roots in the forest, lighting the fire once again in order to make himself a meal, despite his lack of appetite. The nightmare continued to replay in his mind, over and over again as he tried to make sense of it all, he eventually decided he would have to ask Kilgarrah about it. Perhaps it had been memories from this world's Merlin, or perhaps it had in fact been a mere nightmare. He had carved out a wooden bowl by hand, using a somewhat sharp rock and and old tree stub, combined with a healthy dose of magic. The campfire was covered by a rock slab kept up by some taller rocks, to keep the bowl from catching fire as he didn't exactly have any metal pots with him, and it wasn't like he could make one out of thin air either.

He finished making the rather disgusting soup from the roots and water from the nearby creek, and begun to eat it reluctantly. The roots he had found were not tasty, especially not when mixed together, but beggars can't be choosers. He would have to kill some time, as he had no intention of trying to infiltrate Camelot of broad daylight, and thus he spent his time making his camp somewhat more comfortable. He gathered tall grass from the clearing and bundled them together in order to make a somewhat more comfortable bedding. He gathered some roots and herbs and hung them up to dry with some fiber he stripped from nearby plants. He made sure to get some medicinal herbs as well, in case he got injured like he had done the day before. The same disgusting roots from his breakfast would likely become his lunch and his dinner as well, as this part of the forest did not have much else to offer.

Keeping himself busy kept his mind away from all the messed up things that had happened in such a short amount of time, and after some hard work he had a less uncomfortable camp to spend the night at.

He wandered to the nearby creek, stripping off his bloodied clothes and washing them the best he could in the cold water, rubbing as much dried blood off his skin as he could. At least he still bled, so that helped him verify that he was still human, and not this monster everyone made him out to be.

Eventually, the sun set and night fell over Camelot. Thankfully, he had been sneaking in and out of Camelot more times than he cared to remember, so gaining access to the citadel without being noticed would be the easy part. Navigating through the castle and into the cave on the other hand, would not be as easy.

He set out, forcing the bars leading to the lower tunnels open. He eventually entered, walking as silently as he possibly could whilst maintaining a decent pace. He was so happy that he knew these tunnels like the back of his own pocket, for getting lost down here would have been absolutely terrible.

After a short while he caught glimpse of flickering light. Likely to be one of the guard posts, which signaled that it was time for him to leave the lower tunnels. He had to bypass them unnoticed, make it up the stairs and through three hallways, down another set of stairs and past another guard post before he'd arrive at the dragon's cave. Ideally he'd be able to remain unnoticed, but only time could tell how this would turn out.

He peeked his head out from around the corner, seeing the two guards playing dice. Typical. His eyes flashed golden and the dice were flung from the table and down onto the floor, bouncing a good distance away from the group. He couldn't even begin to count how many times he had used that strategy to slip past guards. He was thankful that it still worked, but still rather sad that it had. The guards really needed to step up their guarding game, but he most certainly wasn't about to complain about that right now.

He made it up the staircase and down the first hallway before he heard approaching footsteps. Rapidly he found cover behind one of the pillars, hearing two all too familiar voices getting closer and closer for each passing moment. Morgana and Guinevere. He resisted the urge to peek out from behind his cover as the two women walked down the hallway, accompanied by a pair of guards.

Why was Morgana still in Camelot? Guinevere didn't look like a serving girl either, so it was clear that she had married Arthur, just like she had done in his world. But Morgana, she did not belong in the Castle. She had died in his world, she had attacked Camelot so many times, tried to kill him so many times, and tried to kill Arthur even more often. But here she was, chatting away in the friendliest of ways with Guinevere, as if nothing had happened.

Morgana came to a halt, casting a glance over her shoulder as a serious expression washed over her face. He pressed himself closer to the wall, begging that she had not caught a glimpse of him.

"What is it, Morgana?" Guinevere questioned, coming to a stop once the noticed that Morgana was no longer walking with her.

"I thought I saw something. I just got a funny feeling, that's all." She spoke towards Guinevere, offering the woman a smile. "It is probably nothing." Morgana added, continuing her walk with Guinevere, casting another brief glance over her shoulder.

 _Funny feeling_. She had sensed his presence, or the presence of someone else in the vicinity. That meant that Morgana still had magic, but likely not as strong as it had been in his world. What if Morgana never left Camelot, what if her heart had never been darkened with bitterness and hatred in this world. What if he had instead?

The two women disappeared around the corner, and Merlin begun walking again. He reached the last hallway, as another familiar voice reached him. Arthur. He ducked behind cover, hiding himself to the best of his ability as Arthur and Leon walked past his hiding spot. From the look on their faces, they must have been celebrating, and they had probably been celebrating the fact that they had managed to drive him away, at least from what he managed to gather from their conversation. Hearing that hurt, and it hurt a lot.

He managed to make his way past the last guard post, now venturing down towards the dragon's cave, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. He stepped out onto the ledge, inhaling deeply before he roared. "Kilgarrah! Where are you?!"

A gust of wind almost knocked him of his feet at Kilgarrah appeared, bearing one of the most condescending look upon his face. "Merlin."

He noticed that he was very much chained up. "I called for you!" Merlin let out.

"And I heard." the dragon responded. "Tell me Young Warlock, what brings you here? Have you come to gloat, or have you come to turn me against Camelot as a weapon?" The dragon questioned, bearing disgust in his voice.

"What? No! I would never! I need you to listen to me, Kilgarrah, for there is something very wrong happening here!" Merlin let out, frustration portrayed in his voice.

"It took you this long to realize the error of your ways, Young Warlock?"

"Error of my ways? No! Just listen! I do not belong here! This is not my world! I do not know what happened, or why I am here, but nothing is as it should be!" Merlin exclaimed, a lump beginning to form in his throat.

"I was at the Lake of Avalon. The night sky swallowed up the moon, leaving a ring of light in it's place. When I woke up, I headed for Camelot, but when I arrived at, I was met by an army. Arthur tried to kill me, everyone feared me, looked at me as if I was going to kill them. I would never harm anyone!" Merlin spoke, pausing briefly

"In my world you were freed, Arthur passed away after the battle at Camlann, Morgana and Mordred had been his downfall, just like destiny foretold. There was another dragon, Aithusa! You were no longer the last dragon, Kilgarrah! Everything had happened just like it had been foretold. Arthur was laid to rest at Avalon. I threw the sword into the lake, where no one else could wield it! You helped forge the sword, the sword with the power to kill what cannot be killed. It was forged in a dragon's breath! You must believe me, I beg of you! I do not know what to do, I don't know what has happened to me!" Merlin let out, desperation being clear in his voice.

Kilgarrah responded with silence. "Please! Tell me what to do!" Merlin pleaded, tears now streaming down his face.

"I am not certain that I believe in your story, Young Warlock. But if what you say is true, then this world is safe from your counterpart's destructive desires, and dark intentions." Kilgarrah finally spoke.

"What do you mean?" Merlin let out, fearing the answer that may come.

"You were in a place where the old religion is at it's strongest, when the veil between the different worlds were at it's very thinnest. It is possible to cross between worlds, but only if your magic is strong, and your soul is filled with desire for something that can only be found elsewhere." Kilgarrah explained, without answering Merlin's question.

He fell silent, the words of the great dragon flashing across his mind. He had wished for Arthur to still be with them, for him to still be alive, and in this world, he still was. He was in a completely different world, because he had been in the wrong place, at the wrong time..

"What of this worlds Merlin.. Where is he?" He questioned.

"There can never two of the same souls in one world at any given time. He was brought to your world, Young Warlock, whilst you were brought to his."

Merlin froze in place, all color disappearing from his face. The monster who had left Camelot and the world trembling at his feet, was now in his world, free to do whatever he pleased, harm whoever he wanted. He begun to shake his head furiously.

"No! This can not be happening! Are you telling me that this worlds version of me, who has terrorized all these people, is now in my world?!" He exclaimed, anger now boiling in his chest.

"Yes, Young Warlock. That is exactly what I am saying."

"How can I undo this?! How do I return?!" Merlin shouted at Kilgarrah from the top his lungs.

"The world is finally free of your tyranny. Why would I tell you how to undo the very thing that has brought peace? This is truly a blessing to us all, Young Warlock."

"I am a Dragon Lord! You can not deny me!" Merlin shouted, infuriated with Kilgarrah's response. He was met with laughter.

"Dragon Lord you may be, but you now have a chance at keeping Arthur alive, and saving all those who were lost on your world. You should not be so eager to leave."

"I command you to tell me how to return!" Merlin barked out towards the dragon, fury visible in his blue eyes. Hesitantly Kilgarrah spoke.

"You must stand in a place where the Old Religion is at it's strongest, when the sun is swallowed up by darkness. When this happens, you must think of home, and your desire to return. That is the only way you can return to your own world. However, that will be your only chance of returning,Young Warlock. For when the sun reappears from the darkness, this change will have become permanent." Kilgarrah revealed. "You should think carefully before making your choice, for this may be your only chance at keeping them all alive." The dragon warned.

"I do not know any of these people anymore! In my world they were my friends, I would have done anything for them to keep them safe, and they would have done the same thing for me! This world is twisted and wrong, and now this twisted version of myself is in my world, harming my friends! I don't know what I have done in this world, but I want no part in any of this!"

"All that matters is that Arthur is still alive in this world, and that Camelot and the rest of the world is now safe from your wrath. You may not be welcomed here, nor anywhere, but surely that must be a small price to pay, in exchange for their safety. Surely giving this world a chance, before condemning it would be in your best interest. You may find people to be very forgiving." Kilgarrah responded, causing Merlin to fall silent.

The Great Dragon was right. Perhaps there was something he could do, in order to right all the wrongs his other self had done to all those he cared for.

"How long do I have, before I can return?" Merlin questioned, his eyes aimed towards the Dragon as he awaited his answer.

"A year."

Merlin nodded in response. A year.. He would be forced to live in his twisted world for a year, unable to help his friends in how own world, but this was an opportunity to fix everything that was wrong.. Perhaps, he could make this world one worth living in.

"Thank you, Kilgarrah. I will return to free you.. But I only have one question.. If you are still here, and I am still a Dragon lord in this world.. What happened to my father, Balinor?" Merlin questioned, his heart pounding in his chest as he awaited his answer.

"You killed him."

* * *

 ****Longest Chapter to date. I hope I didn't cram too much information into this chapter, but it's to set up for things that are going to happen in the future chapters. Dragging this out may have left the story too confusing. Please let me know what you think!****


	4. Chapter 3

_"Thank you, Kilgarrah. I will return to free you.. But I only have one question.. If you are still here, and I am still a Dragon lord in this world.. What happened to my father, Balinor?" Merlin questioned, his heart pounding in his chest as he awaited his answer._

 _"You killed him."_

He froze in place as those words echoed through the cave, before everything finally fell silent. Had he truly murdered his own father?.. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. He knew that the words Kilgarrah had spoken were true, but he so desperately wished that they were not.

"Why?! For what reason would i-.. I mean he do such a thing?!" he called out towards Kilgarrah, frustration and anger filling his core. He couldn't even begin to find a reason for why he would have killed his own father, he couldn't see his reasoning, or even think of a plausible explanation.

"He learned that his father was the last dragon lord, and that the power is passed from father to son. He deemed the power wasted on someone who would not use it" Kilgarrah responded, keenly watching the Young Warlock that stood before him.

"So he killed him. In cold blood, even though he was his father." It was simply too surreal. What type of person had he been in this world, for him to be able to kill his father, merely because he had something he desired, because he had thought that Balinor had been _wasting_ his power.

"Arthur was right, I truly was a monster in this world, no wonder he wanted me dead. If I was capable of killing my own father in cold blood in this world, I can not even begin to imagine what other twisted and messed up things I did." he muttered under his breath, his fists clenching, his nails digging into the palms of his hands until they pressed through the skin and drew blood.

"I must go. Thank you, Kilgarrah. I would still have been lost, had it not been for you. I'll return and free you. I promise." he stated, turning around making his way out of the cave.

"Be careful, young warlock."

He nodded curtly, before he continued on his path.

Exiting the castle had been an easier task than he had expected. Most were asleep at this hour, all but the guards stationed around the castle, and at the two guard posts he had bypassed only a few hours before. He slipped out into the forest near Camelot, heading straight towards his camp. His mind was so jumbled with emotions, that he merely ended up feeling numb. This thoughts were scrambled together, and he could no longer differentiate between each one of them. He didn't remember the walk back to his camp at all, only snapping out of his daze as he had arrived, briefly confused as to how he had ended up there, before he connected the dots in his head.

He didn't know what he had done in this world, only the fact that everyone seemed to be terrified and hateful of him, and the fact that he had murdered his father in cold blood. It didn't make him any keener on learning about the past of this world's Merlin, as he feared what horrible and gruesome things he may have done to warrant these ill-feelings everyone had towards him. He most certainly did not know what to do in order to repair the damage he had done in this world.

Frankly, it almost seemed like his best shot would be to convince them all that he wasn't this evil, wicked Merlin they all had known their whole lives. Even Kilgarrah had struggled to believe him, and if the great dragon himself had strong doubts of the legitimacy of his story, he couldn't imagine anyone in Camelot ever believing a single word he said. He had to prove to them that what he was saying was true, but how on earth would one even begin to do that? How could he even prove that he was magically transported from a different world to their world, and that he is different from the monster they known since forever? And not to mention, his magic was seemingly world known. They would never let him into Camelot, and even if he proved himself, they would have him burned at the stake, partially as a precaution, but mainly due to him being a sorcerer. No matter what scenario he imagined in his mind, it never ended in a good way for him.

He lit the campfire, and begun to prepare the same foul-tasting soup he had eaten before. He could always go back to Ealdor and live with his mother. They probably needed help with the work around the village, but he highly doubted that he would be welcomed back there in this world, considering all of the things he had done. He didn't even know _what_ he had done. How the heck was he supposed to sort anything out, if he had no flipping clue of anything regarding this world he was stuck in. He had to be here for one _whole_ year. It wasn't like he could go back to his world whenever he wanted to. He literally had no choice in the matter.

There was also another thing that bothered him. Morgana. She was living at the heart of Camelot, and she was behaving as she had done before she met the druids and Morgause. She was acting like _herself_ , like when she had been happy, before her heart was darkened with bitterness and hatred. He wondered what had happened in this world, that changed the path Morgana had been destined to walk, but caused him to walk that path in her stead. Hell, he didn't even know if he had even been remotely good in this world, at any point in time. It seemed more like he had been born with evil in his heart than anything else at this point.

He realized that he needed to learn about this world's Merlin, and _try_ to understand what had caused him to turn out this way. He couldn't change anything in this world, if he knew nothing about it. Everyone avoided him, or made attempts at killing him, and chances were slim of getting anyone to speak to him willingly, let alone finding someone willing to speak with knowledge of what had happened to him. It was rather hopeless, unless he happened to stumble upon a miracle. Maybe he could find the druids, and convince them to speak with him. The druids were a welcoming people, taking in those who needed their help, but somehow he found it hard to believe that they'd be willing to welcome _him_.

A sigh escaped his lips, as he begun to eat. He seriously needed to get something else to eat, that didn't make him gag after every other spoonful.

That night he had another nightmare, a continuation of the dream he had the night before it would seem. This nightmare felt far too lifelike and it rendered his sleep restless.

* * *

 _He made his way past the burning knights, the scent of burnt flesh hanging in the air. The flames died down as soon as he passed them, leaving the knights on the ground in excruciating pain. They had burned just as his people had been burned, however he would not offer them the relief death brought with them. No, he wanted them to feel the pain they brought upon countless of innocent, harmless people, merely because they had magic, because they had been born different from everyone else. He would not show kindness, he would not put them out of their misery. He wanted them to suffer, like his people had suffered for the last decades._

 _The doors leading into the castle were thrust off their hinges, falling to the ground as he made his way inside the building. Those who attempted to stop him were flung out of his path without any shred of compassion, consideration or mercy. He could care less if they died, or if they survived. His people had never been offered the luxuries of mercy or compassion, and therefore, he would offer them no such things. Anyone who got in his way, who tried to interrupt his quest, who tried to hinder him in reaching his goal were all disposed of, as if they were trash._

 _He thrust his hand forwards, blowing the doors leading to the throne room off it's hinges. He stepped inside the building, half-way having expected Arthur to sit on the thone cowering in fear, however the room was empty. His eyes flashed golden as he set the throne aflame, turning to exit the room as a familiar figure stood in his path. Gaius.  
"Why are you doing this, my boy?! I do not understand. What do you hope to gain from this, Merlin? I beg of you, please stop this madness." Gaius pleaded. _

_"Do not try to stop me, Gaius! They have persecuted our kind for decades, they have burned our kin at the stake, hunted us like animals, and yet you ask me to stop?! You would protect those who have brought so much pain and suffering to this world, those who mercilessly hunt and slaughter anyone who is different?! Arthur and Camelot has destroyed everything I ever held dear! He is just like his father, blinded by his hatred for magic! Not even Morgana was spared! He hunted her and slaughtered her like an animal, and then he left her corpse in the woods to rot! His own sister! There is no hope for him anymore, nor is there for Camelot, and for as long as he lives, and Camelot exists, there will be no peace or safety for our kind. It is time for me to do what I should have done years ago, the only thing that will keep our people safe! He brought this upon himself the moment he killed Morgana, for that was the very moment he proved that he will never change!" he barked out towards Gaius, fury boiling within his chest.  
"You are not my boy.. The Merlin I knew never harbored such bitterness and hatred in his heart, and his mind was never this dark. The Merlin I knew would never harm a single soul, he would gladly give his life for Arthur, and for Camelot. What have you done with him?!"Gaius shouted back with a tone that demanded an answer. "I am who I always was, and perhaps if you had not been such a coward, it would never have come to this." Merlin hissed in response. "Now get out of my way, Gaius! I do not wish to harm you, so do not force my hand!"_

 _"I will not stand idly by and watch you destroy everything Merlin worked so hard to protect, everything Arthur worked so hard to build!" The elderly man shouted, raising his hand rapidly as he let an incantation escape his mouth. The feeble spell was quickly dispelled, and Gaius was flung mercilessly out of the throne room and into the wall on the other side of the hallway by a thrust of magic. He hit the surface with a sickening thud, his face twisting into an expression of pain and shock, before he fell limply to the ground with a groan. "You left me no choice, Gaius."_

* * *

 **"Gaius!"** Merlin screamed out as his eyes flashed open, a golden hue disappearing from his eyes as a nearby tree shook violently. His body was drenched in sweat, and his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. Panic washed over him as a truly terrifying thought crossed his mind, a thought which made his stomach turn, and caused him throw up what remained of his dinner. These images weren't memories, they weren't even nightmares.

He was seeing his world through the eyes of the twisted warlock. These images weren't dreams. They were reality.

That monster had hurt Gaius, and it had all been his fault.. If only he had not killed Morgana, then perhaps his home would still be safe.

* * *

 ****Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites!  
I also want to give a shoutout to Saroura92 for pointing out a flaw in my story, which I've now adressed in this chapter! I greatly appreciate it!****


	5. Chapter 4

_He was seeing his world through the eyes of the twisted warlock. These images weren't dreams. They were reality._

 _That monster had hurt Gaius, and it had all been his fault.. If only he had not killed Morgana, then perhaps his home would still be safe._

He couldn't sleep any more that night. The images of what he had seen, and the words that he had heard continued to loop through his mind in an endless cycle. He curled himself into a ball, his back leaned against a tree, sobbing heavily. His hands were clutching onto his head, the male squeezing his eyes shut, and shaking his head in attempts of ridding the images from his mind.

The guilt he felt was overwhelming, the young warlock blaming himself for everything that was happening in his home world, at the hands of the monster he had unknowingly brought there, and what made it worse was that he knew that there was nothing he could do in order to stop it.

He feared that he would no longer have a home to return to by the time this year was over, that it had all been destroyed and burned to the ground. He couldn't help but to wonder if Kilgarrah had known this would happen, and if he knew that he was connected to his home world in such a messed up way, that he'd be forced to see all the cruelty and pain that person subjected his loved ones to, without being able to interfere. Maybe seeking the dragons counsel would ease his mind, perhaps he knew a way to make the visions stop. He doubted it.

And besides, if he forced himself to think rationally, he realized just how wrong his guilt over killing Morgana actually was. He couldn't possibly have known that something like this would happen. If this hadn't happened, if he hadn't been brought to this world that night, then killing Morgana would have brought peace, but now, it only served to motivate that monster to destroy Camelot.

He didn't wish to think about what he had seen, but he couldn't help but to wonder why his counterpart hadn't destroyed Camelot before, when he had been able to do it with such ease. He didn't want to think that his twisted counterpart was able to feel compassion, or even affection, because that only served to humanize him, and hating him for everything he had done was much easier if he wasn't human.

Some of the things that had been said and done in that vision simply didn't sit well with him either, for the words his counterpart had spoken to Gaius reminded him of Morgana, the bitter and hateful Morgana he brought to an end in his own world, someone who had been driven to hate and resentment because she had no one to support her, no one to guide her.

It did not seem like he had attacked Camelot directly before, and considering the ease of which he had disposed of everyone in his path, it made sense, because if he had, there wouldn't be a Camelot left in this world.. Yet, he simply couldn't understand _why_ he hadn't done it before, what had kept him from attacking the citadel for so long?  
" _Proved that he will never change_."  
Had he still hoped that Arthur could change, had that been the reason for why Camelot had been unharmed for so long? He had killed his own father in cold blood. That Merlin would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, he doubted that his counterpart had any shred of faith or hope left in him. Merlin was convinced that he was rotten to the core, and that he must always have been this way, that he was different from Morgana.

But even so, he hadn't assaulted Gaius right away, he had given Gaius a chance to remove himself from harms way. In some ways, it had sounded like he had cared for the old man, and truly didn't wish him any harm. But at the same time, he had been so quick to violence, when Gaius had refused. Not to mention, it almost sounded like he had been doing this because of Morgana, but that did not make sense to him either.

He was thoroughly confused, and emotionally drained at this point. He knew that he couldn't do anything to help _his_ Gaius, he couldn't do anything to help _his_ Camelot.

All he could do was to try to make sense of the monster that was now loose in his world. Perhaps if he understood him, then he'd be able to do something about the situation in this world. He didn't have a choice any longer. If he wanted to make this world worth living in, then he had to learn about his counterparts past. He had to try to understand his way of thought, his reasonings and the things that drove him onto this path of darkness, even if it made him into a human, a victim of circumstance and bad choices.

He needed to know what he had done for the world to fear him, and most of all, he needed to know why he was fighting Camelot and her King in the first place. He clearly must have resided in Camelot at some point, how else would he have known Gaius and Morgana well enough to remotely care about them? Not to mention, he had seemed awfully attached to Morgana, perhaps even more-so than Gaius. Something must've turned him against them. Something must've filled his heart with so much bitterness, hate and resentment, that he no longer see any solution except violence and death.

At the moment, Gaius and Morgana seemed to be his best options in helping him learn about his counterpart, as it did not seem like he had burned those bridges completely, which was apparently the case with Arthur, and the rest of the world as well.

But now he faced a different problem. He needed to find a way to speak with them, find a way to explain what had happened, and he needed to find a way to convince them that what he was saying was true. He needed to think of something this other Merlin would never do, something to show them all that he was different, that he wasn't like him. He needed to show that he truly meant no harm.

His mind was pretty much blank, the few idea's he had were quickly dismissed. Altering his appearance would surely give him passage into Camelot, but that wouldn't be enough. It didn't prove anything, and it would only make him more suspicious of he ended up revealing himself. Sure, he could probably fish some information in the lower town, but he highly doubted that the information would be nearly as credible as it would be if it came from Morgana or Gaius. Rumor had a nasty way of twisting the things that happened, and were often awfully one-sided, and if he wished to change anything, he needed to know the full story.

He needed something that would make him seem genuine, that wasn't deceptive, nor required him to use magic. Any magic would leave them all on high-alert, and it would shatter his credibility before he even managed to create any. He was at a loss of what he ought to do.

The sun had already risen at that point, a ray of light breaking past the leaves hit him right in the face, which promptly snapped him out of his deep thoughts. He was utterly exhausted, but he forced himself into action, in attempts of distracting himself to a certain degree. He set out to gather herbs, his appetite non-existent. He dedided that he would have to prepare the potion he needed to in order to undo the aging spell, just in case ended up settling for his normal disguise.

He hadn't needed it for a while, as he had gotten more proficient with the spell, but he wasn't sure if his powers had transferred to this world along with him, or if he had swapped abilities and skills as well. It was better to be safe, rather than sorry. It's just be a necessary precaution. Of course, remembering all the ingredients from the top of his head was most certainly not an easy task, especially when he hadn't really had any experience in making it himself. He had only watched Gaius prepare it for him a few times, when he had know that he'd have to age himself for one reason, or another. He desperately wished he had paid better attention. He would make sure to do that when he returned, assuming there was anything left for him to return to.

He then thought back to his time in Camelot, letting his mind wander. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks as an idea appeared in his head. Why hadn't he thought of this before? Sure, it would be stupidly dangerous, and either it worked, or he'd probably end up dead, but it was in all honesty the best option he could think of. He only hoped that this Arthur was anywhere near the person he had known, and that he still had the same beliefs and sense of honor in this world, for if he didn't he'd be placed in a very sticky situation, that much was certain.

He'd better make that potion anyways, and beg that it would work, just in case he needed to escape and save himself from being hunted down and burned.

He was no longer at a loss of what to do, even if his intended course of action was stupidly dangerous, not to mention hopeful.

He had a plan.

* * *

 ****Lots of thinking in this chapter, and not a lot of action, but I hope you still found it interesting to read. I promise that the next chapter will be more entertaining. I also hope this clears up some things that may have had you confused in the last chapter! Thank you for your continued support!****


	6. Chapter 5

_He was no longer at a loss of what to do, even if his intended course of action was stupidly dangerous, not to mention hopeful._

 _He had a plan._

That day went by as quickly as it had begun, as Merlin prepared himself both physically and mentally for what was to come. He needed to work out what to say, and most of all he needed a good explanation. He also needed to make himself be as non-threatening as he possibly could, and he absolutely had to make sure that nothing he said or did could be viewed as an act of offense. The last thing he wanted was a fight to happen, because that would undoubtedly brandish him as his evil counterpart.

He left his camp after the sun had risen beyond the horizon, armed with a plan and nothing else. He prayed to the gods that this worlds Arthur would be remotely the same person as he had been in his own world. He also realized that he needed to find a way to differentiate between the two worlds, because his current terminology was getting rather confusing. And if he managed to confuse himself, then surely anyone who wasn't walking in his shoes would be utterly confused, even more so than him.

He stopped at the edge of the forest, peering towards the gates of Camelot in silence. The moment he stepped out of the safe cover the woods provided him, he knew that there would be no turning back. His hands moved, checking himself to make sure that he had everything he needed, also making sure that the potion was stored where they most likely wouldn't check. It surely made walking rather uncomfortable, and it was a constant annoyance where it was placed, but he absolutely did not want to end up without the potion under any circumstances. He doubted that it'd help him, but it provided some form of comfort.

Careful adjustments were made in hopes of making this more comfortable, and he managed to place it in a spot where it wasn't as -much- of an annoyance, though he would surely never speak a single word about this to anyone.

He inhaled deeply, feeling rather anxious, before he then stepped out of the woods, passing the point of no return.

The guards were quick to notice his approach, their expressions quickly changing into something that wasn't pleasant. They were frightened to say the least, and they were likely cursing their luck under their breaths, yet, they seemed determined to hold their ground, sending a messenger off towards the castle itself to inform the king of his approach towards the gates.

His heart was beating rapidly in his chest as he brought himself to a halt at a respectable distance.

"I mean no harm! I request an audience with the King! I am unarmed and hold no ill intentions!" He announced as loudly as he could. Unarmed and no ill intentions most likely did not ease their minds in the slightest, considering what he was capable of without a weapon, and that his counterpart had likely been rather deceiving, but still, he had felt that it was necessary to include that part.

He had incredibly strong doubts in the fact that this Arthur would agree to see him, and rather believed that he'd be marching an army of knights towards the gates in attempts of thwarting what he may deem as an attempt at infiltrating the castle. He had acknowledged himself how stupid and hopeful his plan was. Another messenger was dispatched towards the castle, and the guards remained on high alert, weapons aimed in his direction. All they could do now was wait.

Judging by the time it took to get a response, he was getting more and more certain that Arthur was in fact preparing an army, but when a messenger returned without an army in sight, he felt a glimmer of hope. The messenger relayed the information to the guards, and they nodded their heads lightly.

"The King has accepted your audience. You will be escorted to the castle by a squadron of knights." A guard spoke up with a trembling voice. It was clear that the guard did not agree with his King's decision, but Merlin found himself rather pleasantly surprised, he really had not expected that this would happen, in all honestly he didn't know what he had expected.

It didn't take long for the squadron to arrive, wearing full armor with weapons drawn and shield raised. He supposed that he could understand them, even though he didn't know what his counterpart had done to earn such precautions. He was blown away when he was escorted inside the gates and found the lower town fully evacuated, probably all escorted to some faraway location within the city walls until he had passed through. Guards and knights were posted at every street corner, in pairs, wearing their full combat gear. He now understood what had taken so long, but he couldn't help but to feel a little hurt, but at the same time appreciative of how much Arthur still cared for the people, even in this world. He supposed that the Arthur in his world would've done the same, had Morgana requested an audience just as he had done in this world. Perhaps he wasn't so different after all.

The knights that were following him, or rather escorting him, were clearly on edge, and ready to strike at any sign of hostility. He didn't blame them for that either. Eventually they reached the drawbridge, very close to the courtyard. He wondered if he'd be met in the council room, or if he'd be met in the courtyard, but only time would tell.

The courtyard finally came into view, and what greeted him was a large amount of knights, as heavily armored as the rest, with the most serious and focused looks upon their faces. There was no Arthur present, and considering how his escorts kept moving forwards, he reached the conclusion that he would be brought to the council room, or perhaps even the throne room.

When the large group of knights joined in with the escorts, the throne room seemed much more likely than the small space of the council room. They sure were taking their precautions, though. It almost felt a bit excessive.

The doors to the throne room were opened, and once he was able to peek inside, a large chunk of knights entering the room first, he was greeted by even more guards and knights. It literally looked like Arthur had called his entire army into action, though he knew that it wouldn't be the case. Counting his escorts and the knights already present in the throne room, he concluded that there couldn't be more than a hundred, perhaps two hundred fully armed and armored knights present to protect their king, should the situation arise.

His gaze then fell on Arthur. He wasn't surprised when he saw the man donning full armor as well. Guinevere was present it seemed, the woman seated on her throne, with a conflicted expression on her face, with a select few knights by her side.

Morgana and Gaius were present as well, grouped off towards the side, along with some council men, near some doors, which undoubtedly lead away from the throne room. They were also well guarded. Perhaps they had insisted themselves to be present during this audience, for it sure didn't seem like Arthur held any shred of trust in the fact that he meant no harm.

The knights were standing mainly at the front of the room, but upon his entry he was clearly surrounded by the swordsmen. Truth be told, he hadn't exactly prepared himself for this scenario.

He then came to a halt before his king, noticing the expression he held on his face. Merlin proceeded to bow his head. "Thank you for accepting my request, Sire." Merlin spoke, breaking the deafening silence.

"Why are you here, and why did you wish to see me, _Merlin_?" Arthur questioned, clearly not bothering with any formalities or proper political manners when faced with the person he viewed as his greatest enemy.

"I'm here to tell you that you don't have to worry about me bringing any harm to you and your people any longer, Arthur. I know that you most likely won't believe a single word that I am going to say, but none-the-less, I have to at least try to explain, because I have been at a loss ever since I faced you at the gates some days ago." Merlin begun, and the room fell silent, except for some distrusting mutters among the knights and councilmen.

"Then speak" Arthur spat towards him, suspicion and distrust clearly apparent on his face.

"I don't belong to this world. I was brought to this world, about ten or eleven days ago. I come from a different world, much like this one, but there are some big differences which have left our worlds completely different in their own ways.

I do not know what this world's Merlin has done to you all. All I know is that what evils he has done to you, will likely never forgiven. And I do not ask for forgiveness, simply because I am not the Merlin who caused you all this pain and suffering. The Merlin that you know is currently destroying my home world, and everything I cherished as we speak, and that I am stuck here, unable to return to the place I came from. You must believe me when I say that I would never harm any of you, I do not wish for your fear nor to see any of you in pain. All I want is for Camelot to thrive, for you all to be happy and well.

You are all dear friends to me, and I would lay down my life in order to protect each and every one of you." He paused lightly, trailing his gaze over the mass of people, before he finally landed his gaze on Arthur.

"In my world I served you as your manservant for nearly ten years, Arthur. I traveled with you on your quests and I stood with you and did my best to keep you safe wherever you went, regardless of what you were doing. You thought of me as the lousiest, most underachieving manservant you could ever have had, you continuously chucked things after me when I was being a smart ass, you loaded me with chores when I made a mistake, and yet, I wouldn't have had it any other way. You always tried to cheer me up, one way or another when I was feeling down. It almost felt like we were brothers, and you were my best friend. I would have done anything to keep you alive, even if it meant that I would have to die in your place. You may have been a prat, but you were also the Greatest King Camelot has ever seen. You have no idea how much you mean to me, Arthur. I've supported you with all my heart, Arthur, and I will never cease to do so, regardless of what world I am in" He stated, his gaze now trailing away from Arthur's distrustful face, and towards Guinevere

"Gwen, you were the first friend I ever made in Camelot, you helped me understand how the city worked. I met you the first time when I was put in the stocks on my first day in here. You've always been the most caring and friendly person I have ever met, and I am so proud to have been able to call you my friend. Words can not begin to express how much you mean to me, and I would go to the end of the world and back, if it meant that I could keep you safe from harm. I would never want to see you hurt, nor cause you any pain. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I hurt you in any form or way." He spoke. He could see the suspicion on her face, but he could only hope that they would see that he spoke the truth. His gaze set itself upon Gaius, knowing full and well that he had to choose his words carefully, or else he may just be charged for knowingly harboring a sorcerer.

"Gaius. You were a father to me, in everything but blood. You taught me so much. You taught me the difference between right and wrong, you taught me just about everything I know. Because of you and your tutelage and care, I was able to learn about medicine and how to treat and take care of patients. You were always so patient with me, and yet you were stern enough to lecture me whenever I did something I shouldn't have. You never gave up on me, no matter how hopeless of a situation I had gotten myself into, and you were always there for me whenever I was troubled by something. I don't know who I would have been if it hadn't been for you. I value you so much, more than I think you will ever know. " His gaze then trailed towards Morgana, Gaius' facial expression having remained rather stoic.

"Morgana. I let you down more than anyone else in Camelot. I was a coward, and I didn't trust you as much as I should have. You have no idea how happy I am to see that you are doing well in this world, and how much guilt I feel for not being able to help you in my own world. I cared so much about you, and certain choices I had to make still haunt me to this very day. You were an amazing friend, and yet I was too much of a coward trust you to the extent that I knew you deserved. I never got to tell you how much you really meant to me, and how much I appreciated you for being who you are. If it hadn't been for you, I don't think Arthur would've seen reason in so many situations, and you were the only one who dared to stand up against Uther when you felt that his judgments were unjust and unfair. You were such an amazing support to me, and yet I let you down when you needed my support the most. I can't even express how disappointed and angry I am at myself for ever doubting you" He paused again, before he removed his gaze from Morgana, but not after noticing the saddened expression she had on her face.

"I know that you all have no reason to believe a single word that I am saying. I don't know what I can do in order to prove to you that I am not the Merlin who has harmed you all. All I have is my words, and a hope that you will find it in your hearts to believe me. I can not even begin to express how terrible it makes me feel, seeing you all be this way, and knowing that someone who bears my face and name, made you all be this way. All I know is that that Merlin is gone from this world, that I was brought here in his stead, and that I can not leave and return to my home world."

Merlin finished speaking, giving them some time to process his words. The silence in the room was deafening, and he took the opportunity to try and read their facial expressions. Most of them looked suspicious and skeptical, and a select few seemed to have their doubts.

He caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of his eye, his head snapping back towards Arthur, in time to witness the man draw his sword.

"Arrest him." Arthur commanded, and upon the sound of the command, just about every knight sprung into action. Merlin had no choice but to surrender himself, and accept arrest without resistance. This was going downhill fast. Arthur must not have believed a single word that had come from his mouth, and he begun to panic, his panic visible on his face as well.

He had known that his plan had been stupid, and that the chance of it working had been next to none. But even so, he had been hopeful. So hopeful that he truly and in all honesty had not expected this outcome. Arthur hadn't even considered what he had said to be true. This must've been the reason for why he had accepted his audience, to arrest him in order to burn him at the pyre for all to see.

"I hereby sentence you to die for the crimes you have committed against Camelot, for acts of sorcery, high treason, and for the murder of countless innocent people. You will be publicly executed by fire in two days."

As the knights and guards dragged him away and towards the cells, he caught a final glimpse of Gaius and Morgana both, noticing the mortified expression that had appeared on their faces.


	7. Chapter 6

_"I hereby sentence you to die for the crimes you have committed against Camelot, for acts of sorcery, high treason, and for the murder of countless innocent people. You will be publicly executed by fire in two days."_

 _As the knights and guards dragged him away and towards the cells, he caught a final glimpse of Gaius and Morgana both, noticing the mortified expression that had appeared on their faces._

Merlin broke down into tears once he had been thrown into a cell in the prison. He didn't know what he felt about what had just happened, aside from frustration and panic. He didn't see this coming. He should have, but he had let himself be fooled by his own hope, and Arthur's willingness in seeing him, that he hadn't even thought about the fact that it could've simply been a plan to apprehend him and throw him in the dungeons. He had been so foolish, so stupid and not to mention reckless! Breaking out of prison would only prove his guilt, and Arthur would be convinced that his intentions had been impure.

He clenched his fist, slamming it into the stone floor repeatedly as he shouted out in frustration and pain, tears streaming down his face as he had himself a minor emotional breakdown right there in the cell, completely ignoring the fact that there were around seven guards stationed just outside his cell, keeping an eye on him.

He threw himself around, his back now leaning against the cold and damp stone wall, cradling his head in his arms as he cursed his own stupidity and naivety. Just what had he thought would happen anyways? This is what happens when he doesn't have Gaius around to tell him just how stupid and reckless some of his ideas are.

He had messed up his speech too, he had completely forgotten to mention the round table! He was certain that it wouldn't have made a difference regardless, but even so, he should've remembered to mention that part! He had spent just about the whole day prior to heading to Camelot practicing what he was going to say.

The cell he had been thrown into smelled lightly of mold, there was barely any sunlight entering from a tiny, tiny window at the top of the cell, and he had a very hard and uncomfortable pile of straws to sleep in, and a bucket in case he needed to take care of business.. It was just like the cell he had been thrown into on his first day in Camelot. He did however notice the chain and cuffs that were bolted into the wall, which looked like a new addition. They didn't look like typical iron cuffs either, they had symbols of the old religion carved into them.

He had calmed himself down somewhat now, his curiosity sparked. The young warlock pushed himself up onto his feet, making his way towards the chain and cuffs. His hand extended, but before his fingers established contact with the metal, he got an ominous feeling.

"They are magic suppressing, just like the prison bars and lock. My father had this cell modified after your betrayal, just for you, Merlin. I am glad to finally be able to put it to use, though I must say it has served us well over the years." An all too familiar voice spoke from behind. Merlin spun around, laying eyes upon Arthur. The man's brows furrowed as he noticed Merlin's bloodshot eyes, and the tear stains on his face, not to mention the somewhat bloodied fist of the Young Warlock.

"Arthur, I would never betray you. I know that I've given you no reason to believe me, but I swear on my life, I am not the Merlin you know. I beg of you, you must believe me." Merlin pleaded, approaching the prison bars with rapid steps. He came to a halt once he saw Arthur's hand drop to his sword.

"You are right, I have no reason to believe you, and anyone would be a fool if they listened to your words and believed them to be true. Just how stupid do you think I am?" Arthur questioned.

Merlin bit his tongue, swallowing a witty retort, before he decided that he was going to die anyways, and just went for it.

"Stupid enough to not be able to tell a hammer apart from a sledgehammer"

"It was a rhetorical question! Are you not aware of the situation you're in? You really shouldn't make matters worse for yourself." Arthur replied with an agitated tone to his voice.

"I am already sentenced to die in two days, execution by fire to be exact. I don't see how my situation could get any worse." Merlin responded rather coldly.

"And since I'm going to die for things I didn't even do, and don't even have any knowledge about, I think I can let myself forget formalities and proper etiquette, you prat." he quickly added before Arthur had a chance to respond.

"I am -not- a prat" Arthur insisted.

"You're right. You're not a prat. You're a royal one." He couldn't keep a small smirk from appearing on his face, especially when Arthur let out an annoyed groan. Though it quickly faded when he remembered his current situation.

" _Merlin._ "

"Shut up?"

"You guessed it." Arthur let out, raising his brow lightly for a brief moment, before he let it drop again.

"You seem very talkative, so how about you tell me about the real reason for why you came here, and what you are plotting. Seeing as you have no way of breaking out of this cell.." Arthur spoke, flicking his finger against the engraved metal bars. "And you have no one to help you escape, you could just make this easier on all of us and come clean. Like you said, your situation can't get any worse than it already is."

Merlin furrowed his brows lightly as he spoke. "I'm not plotting anything, Arthur. I only came here to tell you what I've already told you. I hoped that you would believe me, that I wouldn't have to live away from Camelot, alone, knowing that all my friends hate me for things I don't even have any knowledge about. I honestly didn't think that something like this would happen. I fooled myself into believing that you and the others would believe me, when I should have known how unrealistic and unbelievable it may sound. If I am to die, then I am just glad that I was able to see all of your faces one last time, and that I got to see -you- again. I can die happy, knowing that you all will be safe and that no more harm will come to you all."

"If what you've said is true, and I am not saying that I believe a single word that you are saying, then what about your 'own' world. Would you not rather return there, where you were happy and could live freely?" Arthur questioned, a skeptical look on his face. It was clear how absurd he found Merlin's story.

"It's like I said.. Your Merlin went to my world, when I came here. I've seen visions of what he has done, and there will be no Camelot left for me to return to. He's destroying it as we speak, and there's nothing I can do to help them. I may as well die here, knowing that this world will be safe. My friends will probably not survive his attack, and I can't imagine a life without them anyways." He couldn't help but to feel his heart sink in his chest. In all honesty, he did not wish to die, at least not like this. But he couldn't help but to think that perhaps it would be for the best. His sacrifice to ensure the wellbeing of all his friends.

"Then I am sure that you understand that I can not risk my people's wellbeing and safety. Even if what you say is true, and you're a different Merlin than the one we've been struggling against, I'd rather be safe than sorry. Your execution is still set to take place in two days. I am sorry that you've ended up in this situation, and I am sorry that I can not award you the benefit of a doubt." Arthur stated, turning around to walk away from the prison bars.

"Thank you, Arthur."

"You have nothing to thank me for. I have sentenced you to die, you should be upset with me, not thankful.. There's something about you, Merlin, and it just doesn't add up, and I can't make sense of it."

"I have more to thank you for, than you could ever know. But most of all, I am thankful for being able to speak with you one last time. I means more to me than you could ever imagine. So thank you, Arthur. I truly mean it." Merlin responded, his voice portraying his gratitude, grief and sadness. Arthur glanced over his shoulder, a puzzled gaze aimed towards the warlock. His face gained a conflicted expression, like something was troubling him. Not long after he turned back around, continuing to walk.

"I'll have Gaius look at your hand."


	8. Chapter 7

_Arthur glanced over his shoulder, a puzzled gaze aimed towards the warlock. His face gained a conflicted expression, like something was troubling him. Not long after he turned back around, continuing to walk._

 _"I'll have Gaius look at your hand"_

Merlin sat himself down on the straw pile within his cell once Arthur had left. He didn't have a readable expression on his face, his emotions conflicting to the point where his body couldn't decide which ones to portray on the outside. He was seated with his legs crossed, back turned to the prison bars, hunched forwards with his elbows placed upon his knees. His gaze was aimed towards his hand, dragging his thumb lightly over the wounds he had inflicted upon himself during his breakdown. He couldn't help but to flinch lightly at the stinging pain his caress brought with it. The wound would be gone in the morning, but if this wound meant that he got to see and speak to Gaius before his execution, then he wouldn't complain in the slightest.

He truly hadn't imagined himself dying like this, being burned at the stake. It was the worst way to die, without a doubt, and he had singlehandedly placed himself in this situation. But considering everything that had happened, it may just be for the best, or so he told himself. He regretted not going to Ealdor in order to see his mother, before going to Camelot. She may not welcome her son, if his counterpart was as wicked and twisted as he seemed, but at least it would've made him feel better just seeing her. She wouldn't even know that her only son had been executed, unless Gaius sent her a letter in order to let her know. He figured that he ought to ask Gaius to do that for him. He could only hope that he'd be willing.

His ears caught the sound of the twisting of a key, and a metallic creaking sound as the prison doors swung open. "What on earth were you thinking, doing something so reckless and stupid, _Merlin_?!" Gaius' outraged voice sounded from behind him as he stomped down the few steps that lead into the cell. The gates were closed shut behind the old physician.

"Gaius!" Merlin exclaimed, bouncing up onto his feet and rushing forwards. He didn't even give Gaius time to object before he flung his arms around the elderly man's shoulders, tightly embracing him. He needed this more than anyone could even begin to understand. Metallic sounds from outside of the prison echoed into the cell as the guards rushed towards the prison bars, only to be halted by a dismissive wave from Gaius.

"It's fine, I am all right" he reassured the guards, upon which they stepped back from the bars somewhat reluctantly. His other hand gently pet Merlin on the back, in what seemed to be an attempt to comfort the young warlock to a certain degree.

"I would tell you that everything will be all right, Merlin. But that would be a lie." The old man spoke, breaking the brief silence in the room. Merlin reluctantly released his hold around Gaius, taking a step backwards, upon which the physician placed a hand upon his shoulder.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you alive and well, Gaius."

"Tell me, Merlin. Just what were you hoping to accomplish by coming here?" The old man questioned, his brows furrowing as he peered Merlin straight into the eyes.

"I.. I don't know. I hoped that I'd be believed, that I would be able to live with my friends and those I care about. I fooled myself because I just wanted it so bad, I just wanted a sense of normality again. I wanted to be able to stay with Arthur and serve him like I always have. I wanted to be able to share my joys and sorrows with everyone, but most of all.. I didn't want to be alone, and I didn't want to be hated by everyone.." Merlin rushed as he spoke, afraid that he wouldn't be able to say all that he wished to say before Gaius would have to leave him.

"My mother, Gaius. You need to tell my mother of what has happened to me. She will have no idea about any of this." he pleaded in a desperate voice.

At that request the lines on Gaius' face visibly deepened.

"What's wrong, Gaius? Did something happen?" Merlin questioned, panic appearing in his voice.

The elderly man took a step closer as a stern expression appeared on his face, peering Merlin dead in the eye.

"Tell me the truth, Merlin, and do not even attempt to lie to me. Is all that you have said about the other world, and that you do not belong to this world true? Are you truly not the Merlin we all know?" The man questioned, keenly watching his eyes.

"Yes, Gaius. I swear on my life, everything that I have said is true." Merlin replied, maintaining eye-contact with the physician. Their gazes lingered on each other for a short while afterwards, before Gaius nodded his head lightly.

"Then I believe you. But then there is something I must tell you, which greatly pains me to even think about." The man spoke, his facial expression changing into something unreadable.

"What is it, Gaius? What's wrong?"

"Hunith is dead. She passed away several years ago. You.." Gaius paused, exhaling lightly. ".. He was never the same afterwards. There had still been parts left of the boy who first came to my chambers all those years ago, but Hunith's death darkened his heart completely with bitterness, resentment and hatred. There was nothing I could do to help her, to stop what happened, and he resented me for it."

Merlin's eyes opened wide as Gaius spoke, a sinking feeling being felt in his gut as he felt his legs give away from underneath him. His hand moved out, finding support on the nearby wall before he slid down to the ground.

"How?.. What happened? How did she die?" Merlin forced out, trying to hold back the heavy sobs that threatened to escape his body, the male now cradling his head in his hands. He didn't notice the pained expression on Gaius' face, nor the trembling of his voice. It still caused him a great deal of pain and grief.

"Uther found out about your magic. He was outraged that a sorcerer had been living so close to his son for all those years, that he had made you his manservant, that he had placed his son in what he had deemed a great deal of risk. You were forced to flee the castle. Morgana warned you in advance of what had happened, giving you time to escape. When Uther could not find you, he was even more outraged.

Arthur attempted to plead your cause, to speak words of reason to his father, as did I, but Uther refused to listen, certain that you had placed Arthur and I under an enchantment. He therefore had Arthur and some knights travel to Ealdor in order to arrest Hunith for knowingly harboring a sorcerer. He believed that you still resided within Camelot, and that the news of your mothers arrest would most certainly draw you out from hiding. Arthur attempted to free Hunith, but he and your mother were discovered.

Uther believed that your mother had enchanted his son, and therefore sentenced her to die for acts of sorcery. It was all a hopeless situation, and Uther refused to see reason. He determined that, in order to fully sever the bond between you and Arthur, and to break the enchantments that had been placed on him, Arthur needed to be the one to carry out the execution. Arthur obviously refused, and I do not know what Uther threatened with in order to make him do it regardless of his conviction.

I still remember the expression you had on your face, when you arrived too late to stop them from taking her life. I never managed to tell you what had truly happened. You swore to avenge her, that you would make them pay for what they had done.. I do not know where you went afterwards."

Gaius had a troubled expression on his face as he made his way closer to Merlin, hunching down before the young warlock, placing his hands upon his shoulders.

They remained like this for a short while as Merlin couldn't hold the tears any longer. He knew that this wasn't his world, and that his mother was still alive and well in his own world, but even so, hearing of her death pained him greatly, as one would expect.

"I know that it is much to take in, my boy. But I take it that Hunith is still alive where you come from."

"Yeah.. She's still alive.." Merlin pushed out as a response.

"Then you must hold onto that, for your mother still lives, but you are simply in two very different places right now."

Merlin nodded his head lightly, for as always Gaius' words were comforting and reassuring. The physician took a hold of Merlin's injured hand in silence, setting down his bag besides him, before then he started to treat the wound. His hands stopped moving once he had wiped away the dried blood.

"I thought that you had injured your hand, Merlin." Gaius remarked. "Yet, there is no wound to be seen." That statement caused Merlin to direct his glance towards his own hand, he looked rather surprised at the revelation himself. Too caught up in his emotional pain, he had not realized that the throbbing of his hand had ceased. "I did injure my hand, Gaius.. I don't understand how this is happening."

Gaius looked somewhat flabbergasted as he sat there hunched down. "Merlin, you never cease to amaze me." he muttered. "It just happens.. It happened before, after I faced Arthur at the gates some days ago. I got a pretty nasty cut, but the next day it was gone. This has never happened to me before."

"I have only seen something like this occur with the High Priestesses and High Priests of the Old Religion.. Yet, nowhere this quickly. You are truly remarkable."

They heard a metallic noise at the prison bars, which snagged their attention. It was a guard. "Hurry it up. If you are done, you must leave the prisoner." the guard stated.

Gaius nodded his head lightly, rising up to his feet, as did Merlin. The two embraced tightly, the old man muttering some words into Merlin's ear.

"I will see what I can do in order to help you, my boy. I believe this may be a second chance for all of us."

"Thank you, Gaius."

The two stepped away from the hug, exchanging a small smile, before Gaius was let out of the cell. In silence Merlin watched the old man walk away, and once he was gone, his gaze trailed down towards his hand, his mind filled with blurred thoughts. His other hand cupped the hand lightly, caressing the spot where the wounds had been not too long ago. He wasn't sure how much more he could take.

He found no sleep that night.


	9. Chapter 8

Merlin stood underneath the small window, peering outside and watching the courtyard where they had now begun the process of constructing the pyre. His pyre. The pyre he was going to get burned to death on. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

This day would be his last full day alive, and he would be spending it locked up in a dimly lit, damp cell. He had seen Camelot construct pyre's more quickly than this, but he supposed that they didn't want any errors in his execution, and there was most likely a big security risk as well, so they'd have to work out guard schedules.

He also assumed that they would want the majority of the population in Camelot present for his execution, to both deter other sorcerers, and to show the public that they no longer had anything to fear. He could only hope that it would be over quickly. Maybe he'd pass out from the pain, so he didn't have to suffer up until he point where death set him free. One could only hope.

His lack of sleep made his thoughts darker than they normally were, but he figured that these thoughts were all reasonable and understandable, considering the situation he was currently in. He didn't want to die, but even if he could escape, it would only darken Arthur's heart regarding him. He needed to die, in order for Arthur to accept what he was saying as the truth. Escaping prison would only prove his guilt, even if he was guilty of nothing, but being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Well, he was guilty of being an idiot, but that was different matter entirely, and certainly not anything that would warrant an execution.

He heard a noise from outside the prison, but did not bother to turn nor glance over his shoulder. Change of guards, he supposed. It had happened a few times already. He was too tired to care, and watching his kings chosen method of punishment being constructed seemed far more interesting than a new set of guards. His gaze landed upon Morgana as she walked through the courtyard, the woman stopping to watch the pyre that was being constructed, before she walked away in a very upset manner. It seemed like she didn't agree with Arthur's decision either, not by that behavior. She genuinely seemed angry and upset from her facial expression, and from the way she had left the area. He supposed that he was glad that there was another person who may mourn his death in this world. It made him feel less alone.

A serving girl came by at some point, leaving a tray of food on the steps leading down to his cell. Merlin didn't even register the girl ever having entered his cell, having spent a large portion of his day simply staring out of the small, barred window, completely focused on the growing pyre. It was starting to look quite extra-ordinary.

The food he had gotten was of over average quality from what he could see. His last meal. At least Camelot sent people to their deaths on a full stomach, regardless of their crimes. He didn't have an appetite, though. Which was a shame, because under normal circumstances, he would've been all over this food like a hungry animal. Eventually he left the window, sitting himself down in the pile of straws within his cell, casually picking at the food he had been given.

He slowly begun to nod off, fighting to stay awake. He didn't want to sleep and waste his final moments alive. Not to mention, he didn't want to see what had become of his own Camelot, not when he was going to die anyways. He had to try to remember the good times he had there, and in order to do that, he couldn't let those nightmares overshadow his fond memories. He eventually lost the fight, falling asleep where he sat.

 _He stepped forwards, coming to a halt before Gaius, hunching down before the elderly man. "I am sorry, Gaius. I did not wish to do this, but Camelot forced my hand. If only Arthur would come to face me, and answer for his crimes, then I wouldn't have to harm all these people. They are protecting a monster, just as they protected the monster that came before him, yet.. With so much blood on their hands, and so many innocent lives on their conscience, they have the audacity to act as if I am the monster in this situation. Arthur is nothing but a child, following in his father's footsteps. You are, and always were a coward." He paused, a massive frown upon his face as anger continued to boil in his chest. Gaius merely groaned in pain, the man conscious to hear the entirety of his speech._

 _"At least I have done something, while you have merely been sitting idly by and watching Uther and Arthur both murder those who are different. I alone made Uther pay for what he did to mother, and I made Arthur suffer just as I have suffered. It is time I make Arthur pay for what he did to Morgana and all those innocent people for so many years. A life for a life, Gaius. You always cowered on the sideline whenever there were accusations of sorcery. You let them be killed, you let Uther and Arthur have their way without uttering a single word. The blood is just as much on your hands, as it is theirs. I have every right to kill you, yet I will choose not to. Mercy may be a foreign concept, so I will let you experience it first hand." He finished, a hand moving to pat Gaius' cheek ever so lightly in a belittling manner. Gaius made attempts to move away from him, yet his body refused to do what he wanted. The eyes of the elderly man were narrowly opened, peering straight towards Merlin's face, his breathing strained and shallow._

 _"Gaius!" A familiar voice shouted from the side, rapid footsteps rushing forwards, accompanied by metallic footsteps as well. "Guinevere! Get away!" barked the old man, his voice strained, each word clearly shooting a wave of pain through his body. Merlin's head turned, eyes now laid upon Guinevere and the knights that were escorting her as the came to a halt. "If it isn't the Que-.."_

Several loud sounds, jolted him awake. He pushed to his feet, eyes wide open as one of his guards were flung violently into a nearby wall by a force of magic. The six remaining guards drew their blades, only to be disarmed at the mutter of a word. They were then flung to meet the same fate as the first guard, all of them unconscious from the brief exchange.

A cloaked figure came to a halt in front of the prison bars, the face well hidden underneath the hood of the cloak. The individual quickly patted down the guardsin silence as Merlin watched in shock. Their hands grasped onto a key. They approached the prison door, inserting the key and twisting it, swinging the door open for Merlin to escape.

"We do not have much time. You must be out of Camelot before the bells begin." A familiar voice spoke. The hood was quickly removed, revealing the person who was breaking him out of prison.

It was Morgana.

"If I leave, then that will only prove my guilt to Arthur! It's not like I have anywhere to go, no one who will miss me!" Merlin objected, shock visible on his face.

"If you are executed, Camelot will be thrown into a war it can not win." Morgana explained in a rushed manner.

"What do you mean?!" Merlin let out in confusion.

"In this world you have a massive following. They call you their savior, and they would go to the depths of hell in order to avenge you. Camelot will be destroyed at the hands of magic if you die tomorrow. You need to leave Merlin." The female spoke as she flung a knapsack towards Merlin, which he rather clumsily caught.

"Food, clothes and supplies on your journey. Gaius insisted on giving you this. There's a map in there, it should be of great help. Now come on!" Morgana rushed, stepping into the cell and forcefully grabbing a hold of the shocked Merlin.

"Wait, wait. I don't understand. How do you know this?!"

"I saw it in my nightmares, Merlin. It started twelve days ago, around the time you said you arrived in this world. I did not understand at first, but when I saw you in the throne room it all made sense. I never dreamt Camelot's destruction before then." Morgana stated, pulling her hood back up as she continued to drag Merlin after her.

"Where am I supposed to go, Morgana?!" Merlin questioned, being dragged after Morgana somewhat reluctantly.

"To the sorcerer sanctuary. The place you made in this world. You took land from Camelot by force, and constructed a place where sorcerer's would not be persecuted, swearing that they would be protected against Camelot's wrath." Morgana explained as they rushed down the corridor, Merlin walking on his own volition now. He had viewed this worlds Merlin to be a monster, and yet he had managed to create something so wonderful.

"And Uther accepted this?"

"No, Uther was already dead at the time.. Arthur has been trying to drive the sorcerer's out and get rid them ever since the sanctuary was made. There has been several large battles, but Camelot has never once come out victorious." She stated, before she came to a sudden halt.

"Merlin. Your counterpart tried to show Arthur how wrong it is to execute people merely because of who they are. A life for a life.. Arthur only sees it as murder of innocents. Acts of evil and corruption. He does not see the similarities of what he is doing, and what Merlin was doing. It's so messed up, all of this. Only you can put an end to it, for Arthur will never be the first one to stop. He will never see reason if this continues. I can't go with you any further than this, continue down the corridor and break through the bars. The map is in your knapsack, I marked where the Sanctuary is located.." Morgana stated, starting to move away from the area as if in a rush.

"What happened, Morgana? I know that Uther forced Arthur to kill my mother, but I don't think Arthur would have continued to persecute magic users like this when he became king. I don't think he would march his army on the sorcerers if they caused no harm. What did this world's Merlin do to him? I need to know what convinced him that Magic was purely evil, and that it needed to be fought." Merlin asked, his brows furrowing as his expression was quite serious. The answer to this question could change everything.

"He killed Uther, using magic to do so. Now go, we are out of time!" Morgana responded, turning back around and rushing away from the area. It did not take long for the bells to begin, which broke Merlin out of his shock and sent him running down the corridor. He could think about this later. He needed to get out of there before any guards found him.


	10. Chapter 9

_"He killed Uther, using magic to do so. Now go, we are out of time!" Morgana responded, turning back around and rushing away from the area. It did not take long for the bells to begin, which broke Merlin out of his shock and sent him running down the corridor. He could think about this later. He needed to get out of there before any guards found him._

Merlin rushed down the hallway, the sound of metallic footsteps echoing through the hallway. They were likely a decent distance behind him still. It was night time, but the moon was out, meaning that it would be rather difficult for him to lose the guards should they catch sight of him. He needed to be quick about this. The bars blocking off the exit appeared in the distance. The young warlock threw his hand forwards and muttered a couple of words in a strange language, before the bars were blown off the entrance with a loud bang. He had just revealed his position, and he needed to get out of here right away.

His knapsack was now flung onto his shoulders as he gracefully ducked through the end of the tunnel, now making his way towards the forest. He heard shouts coming from behind him as he begun to weave through the bushes and branches. Something about someone spotting him. He wouldn't stop to find out what they had said.

His heart was beating rapidly in his chest as he was starting to get rather out of breath, he had been running for a while, but he could still hear footsteps in the distance. They weren't going to let him get away that easily. Right now it seemed like they had no intention off letting him escape. He couldn't afford to get recaptured, not if Camelot could end up destroyed because of it.

His foot must've hooked onto a root, because he found himself flat out onto his stomach before he even had time to register it. He didn't have time for this! He needed to hide away somewhere, before the guards were upon him. His foot was unhooked from the root, before he then slid himself down the ledge, placing his back firmly against the dirt wall, muttering a word in order to cover his tracks. Once he heard footsteps above him, he held his breath, pressing himself as close to the dirt wall as he could

 _'Please don't find me.. please don't find me..'_ were the thoughts that had been flashing across his mind the short eternity it felt like he had been standing there. The guards eventually carried on, and once they were gone, Merlin let out a deep breath of relief, sinking down to the ground. He needed a moment.

He was beyond dirty at that point. It must've rained in the afternoon, because he was covered in mud, which frankly wasn't a good look on anyone. He set the knapsack onto the ground between his legs, opening it as silently as he could, whilst he continued to listen for any nearby footsteps or sounds that didn't come from the forest. He was overjoyed when he saw that Gaius had packed him a change of clothes, food, and not to mention his book. There was also something that resembled a letter, but it was too dark to make out any of the words on the front of it.

His first priority would be to make his way to his old camp. Hopefully it hadn't been discovered, and it would be safe for the night. Once the sun rose, he'd begin his travel towards the sanctuary, and he would likely disguise himself as an old man in case any patrols stumbled across him. He pushed himself up to his feet, flung the knapsack back onto his shoulders as he made his way through the forest in the direction of the clearing and his camp. This would be a long night.

Eventually he arrived at his destination, and much to his luck his camp seemed untouched. He would have to spend the night awake, without a campfire, but he'd survive. His bum made contact with his straw bed, his back leaning against his trusted tree. The only thing that was familiar, and that didn't require an explanation or evidence in order to accept him. And then his mind begun to wander to what Morgana had told him only a few hours before.

His counterpart had used magic to kill Uther, and that seemed to be the main reason for why Arthur had carried on with his father's war on magic. It wasn't much different from what had happened in his own world. Morgana had been responsible for Uther's death, but he himself had been the reason for why it had happened. Though, it was unlikely that his death had been as discreet and gentle in this world, as it had been in his own. He wished Morgana had the time to explain more, but he could only assume that his counterpart had done something that resembled and execution. A life for a life. Uther's life for his mothers. He could understand, why he had done it. But it was still wrong, it was a mistake. He couldn't help but to feel that this world had been filled with so many mistakes with near irreparable damage, and that mistakes kept being made because of the past. The whole notion of 'A life for a life' was just wrong, and a sick way of executing justice. It was a vicious circle, where he took one life to repay for another, and in return it only further darkened Arthur's heart to magic, and made him intensify his fight against it, which caused even more deaths, which were then repaid by even more deaths.

He almost didn't dare to think about what could've happened if Uther had found out about his magic in his own world. Could things have turned out this way? Was he truly capable of doing these things? The thought alone made him shudder. Had he helped Morgana with her magic, instead of sending her to the druids? Was that why Morgana was still in Camelot, and was that how He had been found out? Had He killed his father before or after Uther? Had Uther been the one who turned his heart cold enough to murder his own father? But why had Kilgarrah still been underneath Camelot? Had his father helped Camelot recapture the dragon? Had He released Kilgarrah in an attempt to have Camelot destroyed, and then his father locked the dragon back up underneath the castle? Merlin had so many questions that were left unanswered, and he so desperately wished he knew the answer to them all.

Maybe someone at the Sanctuary could provide him with some answers to what had happened in the past. And perhaps he'd be able to break the vicious circle and help Arthur accept that Magic wasn't pure evil. Maybe this world was so different that their destinies had been completely altered, so that Arthur wouldn't end up dying and magic would be allowed once again.

There was one problem though. He had less than a year to make a change, before he had to make the choice between staying here, or returning to his own world. Less than a year to change Arthur's view on magic, and to end the feud that had been going on for several.

He feared that he wouldn't have enough time.

 ****A bit of a short chapter today, but it serves as a transitional and set up chapter for the next portion of this story. I would like to tell you how long I plan for this story to be, but that would take away some of the suspense, so you'll all just have to wait and see :)**

 **A big thanks for all the reviews, favorites and follows this story has gotten so far, we also have over 2200 views on this story! It's incredible and you guys rock!**

 **Next chapter will be a bit longer, as it's the start of the 2nd part, so I hope you look forward to it!****


	11. Chapter 10

Revelations

 _Morning came without any disturbances, and at sunrise an elderly, long and white haired man was leaving the camp at the edge of the clearing. He was carrying a brown knapsack on his back, and a stick in order to aid his weary body as he made his way through the forest. Little would people know that this elderly man was the most wanted man in all of Camelot. Someone who was supposed to burn at the pyre on this very day, and someone who would surely bring about a desperately needed change in this world._

Merlin had awoken rather suddenly before first light. He hadn't planned on it, but he had dozed off none-the-less. He couldn't remember if he had dreamt or not, but assumed that he for once hadn't, as he usually remembered the visions from the other world. Perhaps he hadn't been asleep for long enough, or maybe his sleep hadn't been deep enough.

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, glancing down towards his dirtied body and dirty clothes afterwards. He needed to wash and change his clothes, and thus he ventured to the nearby stream, still alert of his surroundings. Camelot would surely not give up so easily, so most likely the woods would be crawling with knights in search of him. He stripped off his clothes and stepped out into the stream, soaking his hands in the water before he scrubbed himself with the liquid, trying to remove as much of the dried mud as possible. He got most of it off, but he'd need a proper bath in order to get squeaky clean. He supposed that this would have to do for the time being.

He returned to his camp carrying his dirtied clothes in his hands, dropping them to the ground as he approached the knapsack. He reached inside and pulled out a blue tunic, his trousers and a jacket. Looked like this worlds Merlin had been forced to leave in such a hurry, where he hadn't been able to bring his clothes with him, nor his book at that. A moment later he found himself fully dressed, and somewhat clean. Now would be a good time to go over everything that had been packed. He quickly located the map Morgana had mentioned, the letter he had noticed during his escape and the food which would last him two meals. At the bottom of it all was a dark, tightly wrapped cloak, which he pulled out. That would actually be rather handy. Gaius had also packed a waterskin, most likely to ensure that Merlin stayed hydrated through the trip. He truly appreciated the thought and consideration.

The letter was opened as he sat himself back down onto his straw bed with crossed legs. His eyes begun to pass over the letters that had been written on the paper, reading each word that seemed to have been written in Gaius' handwriting.

 _"Merlin. I have packed some supplies for your journey, and I hope that you will find good use for them. I am writing this letter with some risk, therefore I must ask that you destroy it once it has been read, in case you are recaptured._

 _There is something you need to know before you reach the Sanctuary._

 _They must never know of what has happened, and that you are not the Merlin they have all been following. They can not know that passing over to a different world is possible, and they can not know that the individual they are following no longer shares their agenda. If they find out, they may choose to follow their own path and select a different leader, which would render you powerless when it comes to making a change._

 _Morgana spoke to me about what she had dreamt after your arrest, and I am afraid of what may happen if they view your sudden change of heart as an act of betrayal. You must be careful, my boy, and you must avoid suspicion. The changes you can make can not be made suddenly and without careful consideration. This may mean that you will be forced to make choices you personally would not make._

 _I would never ask of you to set your own beliefs and personal feelings aside if it was not of the greatest importance. Once you have fully settled in at the Sanctuary, I hope that you will be able to find ways to change things for the better for all of our sakes._

 _I wish you the best of luck in the time to come, my boy._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Gaius."_

The words on the paper filled Merlin's mind with things he had not even considered. He hadn't thought about how the ones at the Sanctuary would react to his sudden chance, nor how they would react if he told them that the impossible was in fact possible. Words of his capture had likely reached the Sanctuary, and if he returned with completely different views and a new agenda, it would damage his credibility greatly, and they may believe that he had completely turned against him. At worst, he could be faced with an execution there on counts on treason. He didn't dare think about it. Again it would appear that he would have to keep a secret, but this time his secret would not be so easily kept hidden.

He lacked a great deal of crucial information, not to mention he didn't know if he'd be able to act like the twisted and darkened version of himself if put on the spot. Magic had been relatively easy enough to hide, but being a completely different person, who doesn't have anything in common with the person he'd be replacing would most certainly not be an easy task. He had never really been in much of a leader position at all in his life either. He had mostly been following and picking up the pieces after Arthur's stupid decisions, and then having to save the prat because of it.

This was going to turn into a headache, but he couldn't complain. At least he had a purpose in this world, although it wasn't quite what he had imagined it would be. Honestly, he hadn't thought that he'd have a purpose at all, but maybe he had come here for a reason. There were a place he could go in order to get answers to what was to come in the future, but he did not wish to travel there, not after he had realized that knowing the future had been what had set everything into motion. He wouldn't make such a mistake. Not in this world.

Gaius' wishes were followed, and the letter was burned at the mutter of a word. He wished that he could have kept the letter for some comfort, but he understood his mentors concerns perfectly fine.

The cloak he had been given were flung over his shoulders and attached at the front, and his neckerchief was removed and stored away. He begun the preparations for the aging spell, deciding that, now that he had the cloak to hide his clothes, traveling as an elderly man would be the best way to avoid detection.. Assuming this worlds Merlin hadn't used an aging spell as well at some point. If he had, then that would've been a major flaw in this strategy. He'd just have to keep his fingers crossed.

It did not take long before the Young Warlock had turned old, looking to be about eighty years, with long white hair, long white beard and a slightly crooked posture. His bones were aching and he felt fragile where he stood, but he knew that his body was as healthy as it had been only a few moments ago. The sun was now rising in the skies, and it was time to leave the camp which had been his home ever since he had arrived at Camelot.

He picked up a decently length stick from the ground as he ventured through the forest, using it to support himself as he walked through the rough terrain and towards the road. In his vacant hand he held the map, making note of the location of the sanctuary. It shouldn't be more than a days travel on foot, but that was assuming that he would be able to maintain his normal speed in this aged body, which he doubted. He would likely have to set up camp for the night at some point, but he aimed to cover as much distance as possible before then.

He found the road eventually. He passed a few carriages and some travellers at that, but he was met with nothing but kindness and compassion. Some people stopped to speak to the old man traveling alone, wondering where he was headed, and if he needed any assistance. It was highly unusual to see a man of his current age, let alone one traveling. Life expectancy was a bit higher for the nobility, than it was for the common folk, but even for the nobility reaching the age of eighty was highly uncommon.

He could have sworn that his heart stopped in his chest the moment he saw Camelot red appear on the road ahead of him. A patrol of knights, whom were without a doubt searching for him. He could feel their eyes upon him as he stepped out towards the side to allow them easy passage. However, he released a sigh of relief the moment the knights nodded their heads lightly in a sign of respect and gratitude. They didn't recognize him, and for that he was thankful.

He carried on along the road, passing through one of the villages that were closest to Camelot. Nobody recognized him in this place either, receiving the same amount of consideration he had gotten on the road. He was beginning to realize that being an elderly man may have it's benefits, especially if you are the most wanted man in all of Camelot.

Wanted posters with a bounty had been hung up in various places, with a very accurate drawing of himself upon the parchment. Anyone who hadn't seen his face before, but had seen one of those posters would have been able to recognize him immediately. Arthur must have been pretty angry at the fact that he had escaped, for posters such as these were rarely hung up within the kingdom. They hadn't even done it for Morgana in his own world. In fact, he couldn't remember a single occasion where he had seen one of these before.

His feet soon carried him out of the village and back onto the road. He would have been a bit more alert when traveling these roads, but due to Camelot's frequent patrols through the kingdom, he doubted that there would be any bandits lurking nearby, hoping to capitalize on an elderly man traveling alone. Really, it would be the safest time for anyone to travel now, and yet the roads had been emptier than usual. Perhaps Camelot had issued a warning for the citizens and villagers to stay off the roads and keep inside, as there was a dangerous warlock on the lose. Dangerous.. He was nowhere near dangerous for anyone, but Arthur didn't believe that.

He came to a halt at the side of the road, reaching inside his cloak, retrieving the map he had received. He briefly checked to see if he was heading on the right path, which he was. This was going surprisingly well. He had half way expected there to be more difficulties, though it was dusk, and he needed to consider setting up camp for the night..

His train of thought was abruptly brought to a stop as he felt something cold press against the skin of his neck. God damn opportunists.

"How about you kindly hand over your belongings, old man?"

Merlin's gaze lifted from the map, scanning his surroundings. A small group of three. They probably intended to take advantage of someone's sense of security when the roads were so heavily patrolled. The chance of someone traveling alone would be much higher, rendering them easy targets.

"My apologies, but I fear that I have grown hard of hearing in my old age. What did you say, young man?!" Merlin practically shouted, as if to prove his point. He had picked up the sound of rapidly approaching horses in the distance. The bandits had likely not heard it yet, and it was probably a Camelot patrol. He may not even have to use his magic, it could resolve itself perfectly fine on it's own.

"I said.. Hand over your belongings, old man!" The bandit stupidly repeated, much louder than before, only further aiding in drowning out the sounds of the approaching patrol. Turns out that he had yelled loud enough to the knights to hear, for when they appeared, they already had their weapons drawn. The two other bandits were quick to draw their weapons, before the shout of their leader caused them to dash off to the side of the road and into the woods.

"It's not worth it!" Had been the words the bandit had shouted, and in the time the Camelot knights were upon them, they were disappearing into the woods. Some of the knights were swift to dismount, giving chase into the woods, whilst the remainder stayed on the road.

"Are you all right? Did they harm you?" one of the knights questioned. Merlin directed his gaze towards the knight, before he shook his head lightly. "No, they did not, and I have the lot of you to thank for that. Had you not appeared when you did, then I fear what may have happened" He stated, bowing his head lightly.

From the woods he could hear the sounds of metal clashing. It appeared that the knights had caught up to the small trio, his head turned in the direction of the sound, and the knight judged that as worry.

"Do not fear, they will be captured and tried for their crimes. They will not be able to harm you, nor anyone else any more." Merlin turned his head back towards the knight, nodding it lightly. "That is a relief."

"May I ask where you are headed? It will be night in not too long, and traveling alone is not safe, especially not at night."

"I am merely headed to the village just down this road. I am traveling to visit my son and his family." That ought to be a decent excuse he supposed, not something anyone would question, not that he could see a reason for why anyone would question an old man.

He caught glimpse of the knights appearing from the forest from the corner of his eye. The three bandits appeared to have been captured and bound, and were quickly flung onto the horses as the knights mounted them once more. "We must ask that you accompany us to the closest village, and continue your travels in the morning. We can not leave you here with a clean conscience, knowing what may happen."

"I would hate to be a burden, or to slow the lot of you down any further" Merlin stated in response. Sadly, the knights wouldn't have it, and he found himself escorted back to the village he had left not too long ago. It was a bit of a setback, but when one of the knights offered to pay for a room in the local inn he didn't object and graciously accepted.

He would simply have to redo the aging spell in the morning, should it disappear during the night.

It pleased him that he spell had lasted the night when he awoke the next morning, it saved him the hassle of redoing the spell, and allowed him to leave bright and early, but not after he had breakfast. It was the last of the food that Gaius had packed for him, and he only hoped that he'd be able to reach the sanctuary today, or else he'd have to go hungry.. He could always find something to eat in the woods, but he really did not wish to have any more of that foul tasting soup.

The rest of his travels went smoothly, and soon he found himself standing before the entrance to the sanctuary. It was quite remarkable and breathtaking, and he couldn't help but to think that it had been constructed through the assistance of magic.

The sanctuary was surrounded by a massive stone wall, something which could take decades to build be hand, but had been erected in merely a few years, from what he had heard. He reached into his pocket and retrieved the vial with the potion he had created before his departure to Camelot, chugging down the foul tasting substance. He removed his cloak, finding that his aches and crooked posture disappeared at the same time, the effects of the spell wearing off. He was just thankful that the potion had actually worked. He could maybe have dispelled it without the potion, but he went for the method he knew worked.

At the sight of who it was, the guards at the entrance were swift to open the gates for him. He was being welcomed with open arms, but perhaps understandably so. This place was supposed to be his home. A place his counterpart had constructed, and the place where he had lived. He stepped through the gates, remembering the words Gaius had written. He needed to avoid suspicion. He had to make it seem like he belonged there, that this was his home. There was no going back now.

This was his home now, and he needed to adapt accordingly.


	12. Chapter 11

_At the sight of who it was, the guards at the entrance were swift to open the gates for him. He was being welcomed with open arms, but perhaps understandably so. This place was supposed to be his home. A place his counterpart had constructed, and the place where he had lived. He stepped through the gates, remembering the words Gaius had written. He needed to avoid suspicion. He had to make it seem like he belonged there, that this was his home. There was no going back now._

 _This was his home now, and he needed to adapt accordingly_

The Sanctuary was huge, and as soon as he stepped inside he was dumbstruck. They had claimed a rather considerable piece of land from Camelot, for it appeared that the Sanctuary was much larger than he could ever have imagined.

The Sanctuary seemed to have been constructed in a circular fashion, for as he glanced around he noticed a curved wall up ahead, much like the one he had just stepped through. The area he now found himself in purely consisted of farmland, ranches and plantations, at least as far as he could see. Yet there were no buildings that seemed fit for anyone to live in, and from this he drew the conclusion that the people must be residing closer to the center.

He fought the urge to let his mouth hang open, remembering that he had to behave a certain way. The people in the fields stopped their work as they saw him, offering him energetic waves, greetings and wide smiles. Some of the smaller farm equipment seemed to be working on their own will, making it evident that magic was involved with every aspect of their daily life.

Merlin smiled and greeted them back, carrying on down the surprisingly straight road. He noticed that several smaller paths were branching off from the main road, leading out towards the fields. It all seemed very well planned so far, it wouldn't take long to reach the fields, yet with the circular shape of the sanctuary, they would have more than enough land to work in order to provide food for the city and the population that resided there.

He found himself nearing the second wall, which was also pretty tall, but it was nothing compared to the wall he had just passed. The gates were already open, as opposed to the outer wall, where the gates had been closed upon his arrival. He stepped through the somewhat thick stone structure, soon finding himself in something that resembled Camelot's lower town.

The area seemed to be a hub of activity, houses scattered here and there, yet it all seemed to have been made in an organized fashion. It seemed like there was a method to the madness that was the housing district. People were busy at work, magic was being used to aid in everyday tasks, children were running across the streets, horses were pulling carts and the streets were rather busy.

He found himself shocked. If not having magic was outlawed in this place, then were all these people truly sorcerers? It blew his mind. It was almost as if people had moved from other kingdoms, merely to settle down here where they could use their magic freely, without fearing persecution.

Of course, the housing district was smaller in size compared to the farming district, yet it could easily be considered a small city or a large town. It still had ways to go before it could compete with Camelot when it came to the size. It also appeared as if the Sanctuary was mostly self-sufficient. He could see women creating yarn from wool, and others turning plant fabrics into linen and cloth. Although magic was accepted in this place, many still seemed to take pride in their craft, and did their work manually. It was unlikely that a majority of the people living here would have magic strong enough to handle their daily work, so in many ways this was just like any other regular town.

Several small roads stretched out between the buildings, branching away from the main roads, creating several alleyways through the district. The side-roads were made from dirt, while the main roads had been covered with cobblestone.

The houses themselves seemed to look rather different from each other. Some were made of wood, others stone, and a few seemed to have been made from a combination. Some houses were crooked, others stood perfectly straight. It looked as if they had constructed their own homes, and they certainly did not appear to have been made from magic.

He couldn't help but to wonder where they had gotten all the materials from, and how they had managed to build a place like this so quickly.

Again he found himself greeted with smiles and kindness as he walked on the main road. People moved out of his way and allowed him free passage, to which Merlin revealed his gratitude and returned their smiles and kind greetings. He did as best as he could to hide his awe and amazement, realizing that the other Merlin must be very familiar with this place.

He noticed a third wall up ahead. They wouldn't be able to fit a fourth wall within that one, and therefore he reached the conclusion that the Sanctuary had been divided into three separate districts. He wondered what was located behind the third and final wall, and soon he would have his answer.

As he stepped through the gates, he found his gaze drawn towards the structure that seemed to have been constructed in center of the wall. It was made of stone, but did not look extra-ordinary in the slightest, but from it's location it seemed as if it held some importance. There were a few houses located near the structure, which gave Merlin the impression that the Sanctuary had humble origins, but had grown according to the demand and population increase.

He noticed something that could resemble barracks and training grounds. People seemed to be practicing, both with magic and with swords and shields. It looked like this place had a pretty decent army, though, surprisingly enough it was a decent blend of women and men. It seemed like they had been selected based on their magical talents and their ability to fight. It made sense.

He cast a glance over his shoulder, noticing that there were a few individuals located on top of the wall as well. He had barely even noticed them, but when he thought about it, he was pretty sure that there had been soldiers just about everywhere he had gone.

The next thing he noticed was the marketplace. He found it peculiar that they had placed that within the inner walls, but at the same time, it could be quickly cleared out, which would give them a large open area to gather their troops, in case they needed to fight. His gaze passed over a stable, though it wasn't very large. He was sure that there must be a larger one somewhere in the sanctuary, but he hadn't had the opportunity to see all parts of it yet.

He would need time to explore and to familiarize himself with this place. But he was certain that this was in fact a self-sufficient place.

He came to a halt before the structure in the center of the Sanctuary, examining it closely. It looked as if it had been rebuilt and increased in size, for some parts looked more weathered than others, other than that it looked incredibly uninteresting. No banners, no decorations, no statues or carvings. Plain, simple and functional.

He assumed that this was the main building of the Sanctuary, and that it served the same purpose as the castle back in Camelot. Merlin snapped his gaze away from the building again, and begun to scan his surroundings once more. He made note of a storehouse, where people seemed to be delivering grains and other supplies, and receiving something in return for it. He assumed currency, though he wasn't sure if they used the same type of currency here as elsewhere. He could only assume so.

It looked like the inner district held some of the more important structures, whilst also making it more accessible for the entirety of the sanctuary. This place had been very well planned out, and it also seemed rather secure as well, considering the three sets of walls enemies would have to bypass before they could take full control.

He was wondering how his counterpart had been able to plan and create all this on his own, because he knew that he himself would not have thought of this.

As that thought crossed his mind he heard a voice originating from the main building.

"Merlin! When I heard word of your capture in Camelot, I was beginning to worry that you couldn't escape. What were you doing there in the first place?" A female voice sounded. Merlin turned his head around, almost losing his composure when his gaze fell onto blond, curly long hair, fair skin and a face he had hoped to never see again in his life.

"Morgause."

 ****I wanted to cover a lot of the layout of the Sanctuary in this chapter. I still hope you found it interesting though, even though I was mostly descriptive and pretty much no dialogue. The next chapters will be more exciting, you have my word! Also, we have over 3000 views on this story! I want to thank you all again for all of your continued support! You all keep me motivated to keep writing!****


	13. Chapter 12

_Merlin turned his head around, almost losing his composure when his gaze fell onto blond, curly long hair, fair skin and a face he had hoped to never see again in his life._

 _"Morgause."_

Why? Why was Morgause here? Morgause was supposed to be dead.. Well, in his own world the woman was dead, but why wasn't she dead in this world? Was she still alive because Morgana was still in Camelot? He had never gotten an answer as to why Morgana hadn't turned bitter and hateful in this world either.. Had she never met Morgause? Was Morgause the reason for why this worlds Merlin had grown so bitter, cold and hateful instead? What was the connection between this worlds Merlin, and this woman? Had she come to the sanctuary after it was made, or did she have a hand in building it? What was her role in this place? Had he met her after he fled, or before? Did she ever show Arthur what had happened with his mother? Had she even challenged Arthur in this world? He had so many questions, and all these questions desperately needed an answer. He needed to know these things, he didn't know how to react to her. He didn't know what to say, or how to respond.

He still held resentment in his heart for this woman, because all that she had done to his own world, and for playing such a major role on darkening Morgana's heart. But it was evident that he was supposed to be close to this woman, in some form or way, and now this woman expected an answer as to why he had been in Camelot. Hell, the Merlin she knew had been gone for over thirteen days, and he didn't have a single clue what he had been doing prior to his disappearance. He hadn't even thought up a decent excuse for his absence either.

His thoughts continued to race through his mind as he found himself answering the question he had been posed. Before he managed to stop himself, a reply left his mouth. "I wanted to see Morgana, that's why I went there." His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest as he unknowingly held his breath. Judging from his dreams, he had been close to Morgana.. It's the only remotely believable thing he could say when put on the spot like that.

"And did you manage to see her?" Morgause responded, _seeming_ to accept the excuse Merlin had provided. He offered up a nod in response. "I did."

"You should have told me before you left. You've had us worried sick ever since your sudden disappearance. We nearly marched our army upon Camelot after we heard of your capture, in order to try to rescue you. I know that you do not wish for that to happen, but you know what would happen to this place if you were executed. Camelot would destroy this place, and everyone would be slaughtered for who they are. We've talked about this before. You need to stop being so reckless, and you need to put this place before yourself. If only you would listen to my suggestion, then we would not have to worry about the Pendragons any further." Morgause lectured, yet she managed to project a hint of concern in her voice, as if she cared about him.

Her statements simply didn't sit right with him, though. It completely contradicted what Morgana had seen in her dreams. She had seen Camelot destroyed after his death, not the sanctuary meeting it's demise.

"Arthur will see reason, I am sure of it, and I made a promise to Morgana as well." Merlin spoke, drawing on knowledge he had learned through his visions.

"Pendragons will never see reason. Arthur is just like his father, and the sooner you realize this, the sooner we can ensure the safety of our kind. Stop being so naive, Merlin. I know he was once your friend, but he stopped being that the moment he took the life of your mother." Morgause half-way snapped in response, seeming rather keen to remind him of what had happened, perhaps to keep him in check.

He fell silent as thoughts were beginning to churn in his head.

Things were starting to make sense now. If he had met Morgause after he fled Camelot, and Morgause harbored the same hatred for Uther as she had in his own world? Morgause would have been able to catch him in a vulnerable state, and losing his mother would only have proved her right. He was a victim of circumstance, just as Morgana had been. He wasn't a monster, and he wasn't evil. He had been in need of guidance, he had been desperate for a place where he belonged and he had been desperate for acceptance. Morgause must've provided him with all these things when he was at his most vulnerable. She had used him, twisted his mind, and fed him lies, just as she was doing now. She had alienated him from Gaius, turning him against his mentor and planting feelings of resentment only to watch it grow within the young warlock. She must've fed him lies about Arthur, but it seemed like it hadn't gone exactly like she had planned. She had probably kept him from seeing them as well.

It could have been him. This could have been his reality had he made the wrong choices, whatever those were. He realized now that he wouldn't have to act like a different person. All of this had been Morgause all along, just like it had been with Morgana. She was driving him down the wrong path, making friend into foe, creating enemies where the previously had been none.

This could also explain Merlin's reaction to finding Morgana dead in the woods. It could explain why he had marched on Camelot, wanting to find Arthur, to kill him for what he had done. This worlds Merlin cared greatly for Morgana, and her death, even as Arthur's sister, would have proved Morgause right. It would have proved to him that Pendragons could never change or see reason, and that they would even kill their own family because they possessed Magic. It would have set him off, and sent him to ' _do what he should have done a long time ago_ '. It made sense. It was twisted and wrong, but it made sense.

Morgause must've also known that Merlin was Emrys. He was the only thing that stood in the way of her marching an army of sorcerers upon Camelot in order to slay Arthur. Even in this world, where he was Arthur's supposed enemy, he had unknowingly kept Arthur safe from harm, and that was simply because of who he was and what he could do. Not to mention, the people that resided here seemed to follow him, and not Morgause. He doubted that she would have tried to rescue him at all, he rather suspected that the woman had been quite happy at the news of his capture. He was currently the only thing that stood in her way, and his death would have benefited her greatly. He couldn't know for sure, but these theories made sense to him, but if it turned out to be true? Then he had been used, and the mere thought of that angered him greatly.

"Merlin, have you been listening anything I've been saying?" The woman questioned, snapping him back to reality.

"Huh, what?" Merlin let out as a response, offering the woman a rather confused gaze. She let out a mildly irritated sigh, shaking her head lightly. "It does not matter, I'll handle it myself. You must be tired from your ordeal. You should head to your chambers and rest." She stated, making it sound like a suggestion, when it was more like an order. She stepped away from the doors, in order to allow him free passage into the building.

"That sounds like a good idea, I am tired after all" he awkwardly let out in response, finding himself subjected to a somewhat suspicious gaze from the woman.

"How did you escape, by the way?" Morgause questioned, keeping a keen eye on his facial expression.

"I had some help. I guess someone didn't wish to see me burned at the pyre." He spoke in a matter-of-fact manner. He didn't wish to tell her that it had been Morgana, in case she knew of her ability to see the future.

"All right.. Off you go, then."

He gave her a smile, although it wasn't an earnest one, before he disappeared inside the building.

The building's interior was just as plain as it's exterior. He found himself wandering, as he didn't have a single clue as to where his chambers were located. He carefully peeked inside a few doors, making sure that nobody spotted him. He eventually found a room that was somewhat messy, and had a few of his clothing items scattered around on the floor. He supposed that this world's Merlin wasn't one for keeping his own chambers neat or tidy either. Thinking about it, there really shouldn't be much of a difference between him and his counterpart. They had the same upbringing, as far as he knew, though their worlds were quite different from each other, so there should still be a few differences between them. He dumped the knapsack onto the floor, not bothering to change his ways, considering how he appeared to have been just as messy in this world, as he was in his own. It looked like he had objected to having a servant, which was rather lucky for him, or else he would never have found this room.

He dragged himself towards the bed, pulling off his shoes before he fell flat down onto his back with a soft thud. The bed was soft, almost like floating on clouds. He didn't bother to get himself changed, and he didn't bother to bathe himself either.

He was exhausted, and perhaps if he slept, he could make sense of everything once he was fully rested.

It did not take long before the young warlock fell asleep, sleeping more deeply than he had in a long while.

And then the visions returned.


	14. Chapter 13

****To prevent some confusion, this chapter is from Evil!Merlin's point of view, and set in Good!Merlin's world. ****

 _It did not take long before the young warlock fell asleep, sleeping more deeply than he had in a long while._

 _And then the visions returned._

* * *

 _ _"Gaius!" A familiar voice shouted from the side, rapid footsteps rushing forwards, accompanied by metallic footsteps as well. "Guinevere! Get away!" barked the old man, his voice strained, each word clearly shooting a wave of pain through his body. Merlin's head turned, eyes now laid upon Guinevere and the knights that were escorting her as the came to a halt. "If it isn't the Queen.."__

Guinevere's facial expression was filled with confusion and shock. The knights that had accompanied her shuffled in front of her, keeping their weapons raised defensively. Word must've reached her about what he had done, for it seemed that way from her facial expression.

"Where's Arthur, Gwen?" Merlin questioned, rising fully up to his feet and straightening himself up, his gaze now set firmly upon the woman that stood before him.

"I don't understand, Merlin.. Arthur's not here, he was with you, headed for Lake Avalon." Guinevere let out in response. He furrowed his brows in response to that. He had been at Lake Avalon, though there had been no Arthur there, only a dead Morgana not too far away from the lake.

"I understand that you love him, Gwen, but if you protect him.." He paused "I don't want this any more than you, but his actions left me with no choice" he stated, his brows remaining furrowed and his expression much darker than it usually was.

"I am telling you the truth, Merlin. You were bringing him to The Lake of Avalon after he was injured at the battle of Camlann. You were trying to save him.. Gaius told me of his condition, about the fragment from the blade, traveling towards his heart.. If he's not with you, then.. Then I fear that he is no longer with us.." Guinevere let out, seeming to fight back the tears that threatened to appear.

"I don't understand.." He begun, hesitant to accept what Guinevere had just said. "What battle? And why would I be helping him, after all that he has done? You are speaking nonsense, Gwen. There was never a battle of Camlann" He objected, confusion appearing in his heart, where it blended together with the anger and hatred that he had felt as he marched upon Camelot. It dulled the two negative emotions somewhat, as the sincerity of Guinevere's voice made him uncertain.

"Merlin.. The battle of Camlann, you must remember.. Morgana led her army towards Camelot, so we rode out to meet her before she could reach the citadel. I know what you did for us, Merlin, at the battle.. I know that you used magic to help us.. The battle would have been lost if not for you.. I don't understand why you are doing this.. This is not like you.. What happened, Merlin?" Guinevere choked out in response.

He felt his facial expression darken even further.

"Morgana? She would never do anything to harm Camelot, she adored this place. She made me promise to leave Camelot be, she promised that she would do everything in her power to make sure that the Sanctuary and Camelot could co-exist.. How dare you accuse her of something like that? Arthur brought this upon himself when he slaughtered her, and now he is hiding in Camelot like a coward, refusing to face punishment for his sins" He barked out in response at Guinevere's statement, anger boiling in his chest once again.

"Sanctuary.. Slaughtered.. Sins?" Guinevere spoke in utter confusion.

"He.. is not.. the Merlin we know.." Gaius managed to press forth with a weak voice, having been conscious enough to listen to the ongoing exchange between the two. He still seemed to be in a great deal of pain, straining for each breath he drew. Seeing the old physician like that caused a guilty feeling to wash over the young warlock, for even if he had betrayed his own kind, like he had betrayed his mother, he had still been like a father to him, at one point. Even with his cowardly nature, Gaius wouldn't lie to him, not even now.. Nor would Guinevere.

And then it struck him like a hammer. They truly did not know what he was talking about. Guinevere and Gaius wouldn't feign ignorance at what Arthur had done, whether or not they believed his actions to be right or wrong. They seemed convinced that a battle had taken place at Camlann, and that he had been their friend and ally. They all seemed convinced that Morgana had been an enemy of Camelot, and from the sounds of it, it didn't seem like she had been in Camelot for a long while. And it didn't seem like they knew of the sanctuary..

The way he had been let into Camelot with open arms.. He hadn't offered it much thought in his rage.. The way the knights hadn't tried to strike him down immediately, not to mention the confusion that he has seen on their faces.. They hadn't expected _him_ to strike them down and they hadn't been prepared for his magic.

"You.. don't know?" He pressed forth as he felt all color disappear from his face, a sinking feeling in his gut as the reality of what he had done begun to hit him. "What of Morgause? She's at the Sanctuary, keeping an eye on the place whilst I'm gone.. You must know what I am talking about! You can't pretend like you don't!" He let out, instinctively taking a step back from Gaius and Guinevere both.

"Morgause?"Guinevere responded, sounding confused at his question.

"Morgause.. is gone.. died.. long time ago.." Gaius strained forth once again. He seemed to be struggling more and more for each passing minute. He feared briefly for the man's life, that he may pass away due to his injuries. The fear was quickly replaced with an unexplainable blur of emotions.

"And.. what of my mother? She was executed, because Uther found out about my magic, right?" He questioned, grasping for straws, for anything to be as he remembered.

"What? No! That never happened, and even if it had, Arthur would never have allowed it. You mother is alive and well. She's still in Ealdor." Guinevere revealed.

He found himself going numb. Were they lying to him? If they were, then this was all twisted and evil, but if they weren't.. Oh god, if they weren't lying, then what had he done? All those people that he had harmed in his rage.. The things he had done to Gaius.. He didn't want to think about it, he needed to find something to justify what he had done, something that would make his actions right.. This Arthur must have hated magic as intensely as the Arthur he knew.

"What about Arthur? He.. He has been persecuting magic just as his father, has he not? He has been hunting sorcerers and druids alike, burning them at the pyre, even only for the suspicion of magic, right?" He questioned in desperation, desperately needing this to be true, or else he couldn't bear the thought of what he had done.

"Arthur had not persecuted druids for a long time. He didn't persecute Sorcerers to the same extent as his father, but it is true that Magic was and still is outlawed.."Guinevere cautiously stated. That wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to justify what he had done.. If what Guinevere said was true, then this Arthur was more lenient towards magic.. He didn't even persecute the druids any longer, if this was true.

He took another step backwards, staring at Guinevere and Gaius both with wide eyes. "You are lying.. You are just trying to mess with my head.. I don't believe you.." He practically shouted. 'What have I done? What have I done?!' were the thoughts that rushed through his head. He needed to know if they were telling the truth or not.. He needed to confirm that they were lying, that what they were saying was false, that he had done the only right thing..

He needed to leave.. He needed to go to the Sanctuary, and he needed to travel to Ealdor. He begged to the gods that none of what they had said was true, but their faces and their voices. They all seemed so sincere.

He took several steps away, his gaze landing on Gaius ever so briefly, before he turned around, heading away from Guinevere and Gaius both, sprinting down the hallway. He needed Morgause, he needed her to set his thoughts straight, to help him work through everything. He needed her support and her counsel. He needed a friend, and someone he could trust.

* * *

Merlin awoke as the sun shone through the window, the light hitting him straight in the face. He had slept until the next morning. The emotions of the other Merlin stuck with him for quite a while after waking up. It felt as if he had actually been there himself, that he himself had just experienced everything that had happened. Before, the visions had felt distant, like dreaming, or like reading a book. But this time, it had felt real. It had felt like it had been him, he had felt what his counterpart had felt, he had shared the same thoughts and reasoning. He couldn't help but to feel pity and understanding at the situation his counterpart was in, but he could never accept what his counterpart had done, and he could never accept all the pain he had brought upon Camelot.

His home hadn't been destroyed, but lives had been lost, and Gaius' condition greatly worried him. He feared that the old man may die from his injuries, and the thought of losing him was almost unbearable. Guinevere was safe, but he did not know what would happen to Gaius and the injured knights. He felt relieved, yet frustrated at the fact that there was nothing he could do to help them. All he could do was watch, and he hated that.


	15. Chapter 14

_His home hadn't been destroyed, but lives had been lost, and Gaius' condition greatly worried him. He feared that the old man may die from his injuries, and the thought of losing him was almost unbearable. Guinevere was safe, but he did not know what would happen to Gaius and the injured knights. He felt relieved, yet frustrated at the fact that there was nothing he could do to help them. All he could do was watch, and he hated that._

* * *

Merlin spent the beginning of his morning by familiarizing himself with his chambers, and where things were located. He figured that it wouldn't be very convincing if he didn't even know the layout of his room, nor where he kept his things. He could also learn a thing or two about his counterpart whilst he was at it. He pulled open some drawers, peeking inside and pushed some clothes around. He made a mental note at the fact that his counterpart had gotten himself new clothes at some point, though he still seemed rather fond of his neckerchiefs. He found some green and yellow tunic in one of the drawers, a robe shoved into a corner of another, along with some underwear and socks, and a few brown trousers and one or two jackets were in the third drawer. Seems like the only difference was the addition of two new colors, which was rather underwhelming. Though, he didn't know what he had expected. Maybe he thought that he would've upgraded his wardrobe to something more 'royal' or 'upper class' considering how he was supposed to be the leader of this place. At least he didn't have to worry about looking the part.

He shut the drawers, wandering over towards the nightstand, pulling open the drawers of this piece of furniture with a great deal of curiosity. He found a single book, a few candles, some parchment and a quill and ink pot. Nothing interesting at all, though again, he didn't know what he had expected to find. If his counterpart was anything like him, then it was highly unlikely that he had a lot of belongings, and even more unlikely that he had acquired anything he didn't need.

His foot kicked a sock halfway underneath a nearby cabinet, which drew his attention towards the piece of furniture. Why did he even have this much furniture to begin with, if he didn't even have enough stuff to fill them up? Maybe someone had insisted, or perhaps someone had just taken matters into their own hands? He would likely never know. His hand moved forwards, pulling the door open, which revealed that the cabinet was practically empty, with the exception of a brown knapsack that sat on the ground. It was somewhat similar to the one Morgana had thrown his way, but these knapsacks were pretty common, so he offered it no thought. The door was shut close again, the young warlock turning around and scanning the room with his gaze.

He had halfway hoped to find a journal, or something of the sorts. That sure would have been helpful, now wouldn't it. Wishful thinking he supposed, but he made himself another mental note to start writing a journal, just in case something like this happened again. He doubted it, but if it had happened once, what would keep it from happening a second time? He half-way wished that he had taken up his mothers advice on writing a few sentences each day of what he had done, and what had happened. Maybe his counterpart would have done the same, and then this situation would have been so much easier to deal with.

A sigh left his mouth, before he strolled back towards the bed, sitting down on the edge of it. He took a moment to appreciate the softness of the bed, comparing it to his bed back in Camelot. This bed made his other one feel like solid rock. He didn't doubt that he could sleep for days in this bed, and it really seemed to be the only thing in the room that had been kept somewhat neat and tidy.. Well, at least before he arrived and turned the sheets and blanket into a messy pile in one corner. Automatically he got himself up to his feet, turned around and made the bed, patting himself lightly on the shoulder afterwards.

There had to be something of interest here somewhere, he thought to himself, taking a few moments to think of where he would've hidden something he didn't want anyone to stumble upon. He got himself down onto all fours, leaning down in order to peek underneath the bed. There was nothing there, which wasn't too much of a surprise, though that would've been an easy find.

He didn't even know what he was looking for. The main reason he was doing this was to post-pone meeting Morgause again, especially when he knew next to nothing about this place. Stumbling upon a law book or something would've been a great find, but alas he would not be so lucky. He searched through the entirety of the room, before he found himself standing in front of the nightstand again. He got back down onto all fours, leaning down in order to peek underneath the piece of furniture. He couldn't properly see, and therefore he stuck his hand underneath the object, feeling around. His hand stopped when it touched the floor. The stone shifted at his touch.

The young warlock bolted back up onto his feet, grasping a hold of the nightstand and moving it out of the way. His curiosity was now sparked as he moved to remove the stone slab, to reveal whatever hidden treasures that rested underneath. He found himself briefly disappointed when he found a small stack of letters, neatly bundled together with string. His curiosity was rekindled however, when he realized that his counterpart had felt it necessary to take such precautions in ensuring that these letters were never found. The only reason he had found them was due to sheer luck, a desperate need to procrastinate and intense curiosity.

He was about to untie the knot that kept the letters bundled together when he heard a knock at the door.

He cursed lowly under his breath as he rapidly stuffed the letters back down into the hole, placing the slab back on top.

"Merlin. Are you awake?" A familiar, female voice sounded as the door.

"Uh, yeah! Just give me a moment or two!" He replied, moving the nightstand back to it's original position as silently as possible. Morgause had the worst timing ever. If only the woman had let him be for a few moments longer.. He fought the urge to pull his hair out in frustration. His curiosity was practically killing him, but now he had to face the person he least wanted to see, not to mention he most likely would have to wait until night time.

He wandered towards the door with quick steps, realizing on the way that he was still in his dirty clothes, and that he still hadn't bathed. He came to a halt at the drawer, quickly taking off his jacket and tunic, dropping both to the floor, before he slipped himself into one of the green tunics, throwing a clean jacket over it. It would have to do, though it felt weird, since these clothes weren't exactly _his_.

He kicked the dirtied clothes lightly off towards the side, making a note to take care of it later, before he carried on.

His hand touched the doorknob, pushing the door open, half-way opening his mouth to greet Morgause before he stopped dead in his tracks. He stood there, his mouth hanging half-way open, practically staring towards the woman that stood before him. That most definitely wasn't Morgause. He managed to close his mouth with a great deal of effort.

"Are you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost" A soft voice spoke, riddled with concern.

He couldn't believe his eyes. How could this be? How was she still alive? How much was changed in this world, compared to his own? Just how many years had passed since his counterpart had been forced to flee Camelot?

* * *

 ****Cliffhanger! Who could it be? I feel a bit evil for leaving you all with a cliffhanger like this, but it just felt appropriate! Also, I am sorry for not posting a chapter yesterday. Life got in the way, and I didn't find the time to write anything.****


	16. Chapter 15

_"Are you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost" A soft voice spoke, riddled with concern._

 _He couldn't believe his eyes. How could this be? How was she still alive? How much was changed in this world, compared to his own? Just how many years had passed since his counterpart had been forced to flee Camelot?_

* * *

He found himself moving forwards rapidly before he could stop himself, his arms wrapping around the woman that stood before him, squeezing her tightly. He fought back the tears that threatened to appear, as he held her in a tight embrace.

He felt a light touch on his back as the woman returned the embrace, with a soft, comforting touch.

"Freya.. I've missed you so much" He allowed himself to say, burying his face lightly in her shoulder, inhaling lightly and catching a whiff of her scent. She was very much real, and she was very much alive.

"And I missed you, Merlin. You had me so worried when you disappeared like you did. But when Morgause told me of your return, I was so relieved. I wanted to come see you right away, but she insisted that I let you rest." Her voice sounded in his ear. Her voice alone was enough to comfort him, to ease his mind and make him momentarily forget about his situation.

"I am so sorry. The last thing I would want is for you to worry." He spoke the truth in these words, his mind wandering to the time he had shared with her in his own world. He had to involuntarily break the embrace as she stepped backwards, her hands placed upon his arms. The young woman gazed towards his eyes, before one of her hands raised, gently caressing his cheek, wiping away a lone tear that had managed to escape his eye.

"Why do you cry, Merlin? Did something happen?" she questioned, her brows furrowing ever so lightly

He gently cupped her hand with his own, a sheepish smile appearing on his face as he shook his head lightly.

"No. Everything is fine. I was just so happy to see you." he responded. He allowed his hand to drop down, bringing hers along with it. For a moment, he let his gaze to drop towards her hand, his thumb gently trailing over her skin. He lifted his gaze lightly, meeting hers once more. Simply seeing her face made a smile appear on his face, and suddenly, for a moment everything that he had gone through since his arrival in this world seemed worth it. But then a small voice in the back of his head reminded him that this was not his Freya, and that caused the smile to fade away. He was a stranger in her world, bearing the face of someone whom she seemed to love. The man she cared for was on his lonesome in a strange world, frightened and confused. It did not matter how he felt about her, that fact would not change. He felt guilt residing deep in his gut, and before he registered it, he had let go of her hand.

He pressed forth another smile. "I haven't eaten yet. Would you like to join me?" He spoke. The cheeky grin on his face concealed his guilt, but it was still visible in his eyes. She must have noticed, but it seemed that she would not press the matter.

"I would love to" her voice responded, which prompted him to preform a curt bow, extending a hand forwards. "Ladies first." he let out with the cheeky grin still on his face. He did not know the way, and he hoped that she would lead him in the right direction. They walked for a short while down the empty corridors of the building before her hand traveled out in his direction. Despite his desire to take it, he found himself slipping his hand into the pockets of his trousers, as if he hadn't noticed the gesture. It did not take long before her her hand dropped back down towards her side, the young warlock making an effort to not look at her face. He wanted this so bad, and yet it felt so wrong.

The silence was overwhelming. He had so much he wished to say, and yet he could not speak the words that he wanted. She must have noticed his detached behavior, and therefore chose to remain silent as they walked together. The only thing he could hear was their footsteps on the stone floor. He swore that his heart was pounding so hard, that it would be audible if it beat any harder. Resisting the urge to stare at her face took more out of him than anyone could ever imagine.

It took him a while to notice that Freya had stopped walking.

"Merlin." He heard from behind him, which prompted the young warlock to turn around.

"It is this way." she added as she gained his attention.

"Oh, right. Sorry!" he let out, accompanying it with a small chuckle and a grin. He made his way back joining the young woman's side, adopting the most innocent face he could muster.

"Are you certain that you are all right?" she inquired.

"Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind is all. Please don't worry about it." he responded, smiling softly towards the woman.

"Do you wish to talk about it?"

"Perhaps some time, but not now."

They carried on down a small flight of stairs. He caught a whiff of food, which increased in strength the closer they got. They made their way through a short corridor before they finally reached the kitchen. It was fairly large, much to his surprise, and all the cooks seemed quite busy preparing what looked like a large quantity of food. He could only imagine what it was all for, though they were all so occupied that they did not notice their arrival.

"We should just help ourselves so we do not bother them too much" Freya suggested. She begun to fill a plate with some of the food that was set out on a table, and the young warlock was quick to follow her example. They were both noticed eventually, receiving brief greetings from the cooks which responded to by greeting back. It did not take long before they had left the kitchen and were on their way back up the small flight of stairs.

"Looks good" he commented as he glanced towards his plate. He received a small smile from her in response. They found themselves in what seemed to be a meeting room, which had been turned into a dining room for the time being. He now understood the quantities of food that was being prepared. It seemed like every single official was invited to eat breakfast in the main building. He received several greetings upon entering the room, seating himself down at one of the long tables, near the end. Freya sat down across from him, and once again their eyes met.

"So, what time is actually?" he questioned lowly, the young woman smiling in response as she spoke. "It should be about noon now."

"So this isn't breakfast." he concluded.

"No, it's not." she confirmed with the smile still on her face. He offered her another sheepish smile before he dug into his food. He practically wolfed down the food, having been way hungrier than he had initially thought.

"You mustn't have been eating properly in the last two weeks. You have lost some weight." she stated, making an observation. He didn't think that he had gotten any skinnier, but perhaps he had.

"People weren't exactly.. willing to deal with me out there. I mostly had berries and roots" He stated, scratching his head lightly. "Couldn't have bought anything even if they had been interested in doing business with me. Left my money behind you see." he added, further explaining what had happened.

"Why did you leave in such a rush? I went to wake you, but you had disappeared in the night without a word to anyone. The guards had not even seen you leave." she spoke. Momentarily she stopped eating as she awaited his answer.

"There was something urgent I had to do, and it could not wait. If I could have stayed, I would have. I wish I could tell you what it was, but I can't. Not yet at least." he replied, the words flowing easily off his tongue, although he had not put much thought into what he would say. It was a half-truth.

"And this is the thing that has been on your mind?"

He offered her a nod in response.

"I wish you could tell me, but I understand. I trust that Morgause can not know of this either, and that seeing Morgana must have been merely an excuse. But please tell me, Merlin. Does this have something to do with Camelot?" she inquired, their gazes now meeting again.

"I.. can't tell you. I'm sorry."

"I see.. It is fine, I understand. But I do hope you know that you can talk to be about anything, though. You are the reason for why I am still here, and I hope you know that I care for you with all my heart."

He felt his heart sink lightly at that statement, the guilt taking hold once again. He felt his throat thicken lightly as he fought back the tears that wanted to escape. The reason for why she was still here was currently stuck in his world, and again this all felt wrong, yet he did not think that he had wanted anything this much before.

"Yeah, I know. And you must know that I feel the same way, but this burden is mine to bear, and mine alone." were the words that escaped his mouth. His gaze trailed away from her face and down towards his empty plate as he bit at his lower lip.

"I must go, but know that I am here for you, Merlin."

"Thank you, Freya. It means more to me than you could ever know."

He felt a light touch on his shoulder which was followed by a brief caress of his cheek. Soon her footsteps could no longer be heard as he sat there, staring intently down towards his empty plate.

He didn't think he had ever been so happy, nor felt so guilty before in his entire life.


	17. Chapter 16

_He didn't think he had ever been so happy, nor felt so guilty before in his entire life._

Merlin had left the dining room and was on his way back towards his chambers when he bumped into Morgause. He cursed mentally, growing frustrated once again at the fact that he would still be unable to read the letters. He tried to weasel his way out of accompanying the woman, but his attempts were pretty much useless. Much to his dismay, the woman knew him far too well to fall for his excuses, and she was able to easily pick apart his attempts at lying. He did not exactly like the fact that the woman knew him as well as she did, but if his counterpart had spent years living with this woman and working with her, it was to be expected. It didn't exactly make his job easier either, considering how he barely knew the woman himself.

He now found himself walking with the woman, opting to lag a step or two behind her, staring holes into the back of her head. Why did it have to be Morgause, of all people? Why couldn't it have been Mordred? He supposed he already knew why it couldn't have been Mordred, because from the looks of it, Mordred had only been a young boy at the time.

He found his heart almost stuck in his throat as Morgause spoke, startling him to the point where he nearly jumped.

"You are being awfully silent, Merlin. Is something the matter?" the woman questioned, slowing down until she was walking directly besides the young warlock. A cheeky grin appeared on his face as he shook his head lightly.

"No, everything is fine. Splendid actually, now that I think about it" he responded, the most innocent expression plastered upon his face in attempts to keep the woman from pressing the matter any further.

"Are you certain? You've been acting a bit strange." she stated, glancing towards him from the corner of her eye. He proceeded to nod. "Yeah. Like I said, everything is just fine. I'm a bit tired is all, hence why I wanted to return to my chambers. By the way, what are we doing?" he questioned "I kind of lost track of which day it is" he added quickly, in order to keep himself from sounding completely clueless. He heard a sigh escaping the woman.

"Council meeting, Merlin. You did not attended the last two meetings as you should remember. Unless you somehow forgot that you were gone for two weeks, which I highly doubt. I would have let you rest, but they have been on my case about it." Morgause stated.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that." He plainly responded. Great, council meetings. It was just what he wanted. Being stuck in a room with several people who could easily see through him should he make the tiniest mistake was exactly what he wanted to do.

"As much as I appreciate you being so silent for a change, it is beginning to bug me. What exactly happened in Camelot, Merlin?" The woman finally asked after they had walked for another short while. She came to a halt and turned in order to face the young warlock, her brows furrowed with a concerned expression upon her face.

"Nothing happened. You can stop being concerned. Everything is just fine, I swear."

"I don't believe you. What did they do? Did they harm you in any way? Did they torture you? You must tell me, for I can not help you if you don't." the woman pressed on, seeming to fight the urge to raise her voice with every fiber of her being. She looked genuinely upset at the mere thought of it.

"They did nothing but place me in a cell from which I could not escape." he let out in response, peering the woman dead in the eye. Her brows remained furrowed for a short while, skepticism clearly visible on her facial features, before her expression eventually softened.

"If you say so. Come. We must go before we are late" she let out as she turned around continuing to walk down the hallway. He would follow her once more, lagging a bit behind the woman. He was somewhat stressed, for he did not think that she had believed him. He was convinced that she would bring it up later on.

It did not take long before they reached the council room, the members of the council already present. He didn't know any of their faces or names, but he was met with respectful greetings. He found his way to the chair which he assumed to be his, taking a seat after gesturing for the rest of the council members to do the same. It was so very weird, and he found himself fumbling his way through the meeting, making decisions to the very best of his ability to the matters that was brought to his attention. It wasn't an easy task, not at all, considering how little he knew about this place. He kept an eye on Morgauses facial expression, and whenever her face revealed that she seemed to disapprove, he changed his decision as smoothly as he could, attempting to avoid suspicion.

He felt himself sinking deeper into his chair as the meeting dragged on, and he found himself wondering if these people liked the sound of their own voices more than anything else. It seemed like people had expected his interest to dwindle at some point, for when he had sunken low enough in the chair, their attention of the council members was directed towards Morgause without even as much as a disapproving mutter. He had tried to be engaged and interested, but he now understood why Arthur had loathed the council meeting as much as he had. It didn't matter how you looked at it, it was boring as hell, and he was frankly surprised that he had been engaged for as long as he had.

He tried to slip away from the meeting room but found himself interrupted by the woman he was attempting to get away from. "Hold on, Merlin." a female voice spoke from behind him, which prompted the young warlock to curse lightly under his breath. He cast a glance over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the woman finishing up a conversation with one of the council men, Jonathan or something. He didn't quite remember. He had no choice but to wait at the door, exchanging a few words with the council members that still didn't feel like they had done enough talking. What had his counterpart thought when he had this council made? Probably that it was a good idea, or perhaps it had been Morgause's idea. Wouldn't surprise him.

She eventually finished speaking, and caught up to him at the door. "All right, let us go." she spoke, exiting the room. The young warlock soon followed, like an obedient dog.

"You did well today. I don't think I have seen you this engaged for that long in a meeting. You wouldn't mind making it a common occurrence, would you?" she asked as she glanced towards him with a raised brow.

"Well, I was under the impression that they were annoyed that I hadn't been there the last two times.. Where are we going now, by the way? I was kind of hoping that if I applied myself at that meeting, that I'd be able to go rest afterwards" he merely spoke in response.

"I am afraid that you can't rest quite yet. You have to be present at the recruitment trials, and afterwards the court session we have been postponing for a week. I can handle the rest afterwards if you are so desperately tired." she let out, the final portion spoken almost in an accusatory tone. He frowned lightly, but merely nodded.

"Wait, court session? What for?" he questioned, picking up the pace ever so lightly in order to fully catch up to the woman.

"We found a non-magic within our walls, usually the trial would have been done with already, but you were not present."

He felt his heart sink in his chest as he heard those news. What he had been told was true. The Sanctuary did in fact persecute those without magic. He had hoped that it had merely been malicious rumors that had been spread in order to discredit the sanctuary, or make the sorcerers that resided here sound like monsters.

He didn't think that he would have to deal with something like this so soon. He hadn't had any time to mentally prepare, and he didn't know if he could even make himself pass judgment on someone, just like that. Not for being who they were. This was where he'd notice the biggest difference between himself and his counterpart. Their feelings on this matter must be polar opposites. He did not like this at all, nor deem it just, where his counterpart clearly did, or else those laws would not be there in the first place.

He did his best to not reveal his emotions on his face, silently accompanying Morgause towards the back of the main building, exiting through a door which lead out towards what seemed to be another training area that he hadn't seen when he arrived.

When he saw the amount of recruits, mostly young teens, with a few adults mixed into the masses, he concluded that this would be a long day, but he secretly hoped that this would drag on for a long time.

 ****I found myself with a bit of a writers block, trying to figure out how to drive the story forwards. I know what will happen in the end, but the path that leads to that result was a bit unclear. I've therefore decided that I'll post a couple more chapters in order to finish this day, and then there will be a time skip, covering the span of a few months, to really let him settle into his role at the sanctuary, so that we can fully dwelve into the plot. I'd love to hear all of your thoughts about this.**

 **Also, as always I am very thankful for all the reviews, follows and favourites. I am happy that you've all been enjoying the story so far!****


	18. Chapter 17

_When he saw the amount of recruits, mostly young teens, with a few adults mixed into the masses, he concluded that this would be a long day, but he secretly hoped that this would drag on for a long time._

* * *

His mind was occupied with the thoughts of the court session he would have to attend, therefore he ended up not paying much attention to the things that happened during the recruitment trials. It was merely a bunch of hopeful, young sorcerers showcasing their magic and demonstrating what they could do, and the extent of their talents. Some sparring took place as well. First they utilised their magic, and then they proceeded to demonstrate their skills with physical weapons, such as swords, maces and spears. From what he had gathered, recruitment took place once every six months, and usually only two dozen recruits were selected each time at most. Usually there were less recruits selected. The most gifted and talented of these recruits were put through further trials, to see if they could train in the special division. Apparently selection for this division was even more rare, only one or two recruits meeting the criteria at the most. It seemed like it was more common for no one to be selected, than it was for anyone to be selected though. From the sounds of it, it appeared that Morgause was personally training this division, which made it likely that she was training them to become high priests and high priestesses of the old religion. The woman was after all one of the last remaining high priestesses, if not the last. He wouldn't count Morgana as one, considering how she had never learned from Morgause in this world. A division of high priests and priestesses were a frightening thought, as no mortal blade could kill a high priestess or priest. And considering how Excalibur was never made, or was lost at the depths of the Lake of Avalon, Camelot would not stand much of a chance in a war.

He had probably missed out on a lot of important aspects of the recruitment trials, but he had gotten the gist of it. His gaze followed the few instructors that wandered the field. They declared who had made it through the initial trials. These trials seemed to test their spell craft, and the strength of their spells, as well as their physical and magical endurance. Those who failed were given the option to try again in six months from what he heard the instructors say. The secondary trials were the sparring matches, the number of recruits easily having been halved by the time this portion of the trials begun. Whoever lost their sparring match automatically failed, and was given the same message as the others. The secondary round narrowed down the recruits even further. This time he and Morgause were supposed to select those who had enough skill and potential, and the ones that were selected were accepted into the training programme for the military force. From these recruits, they could select candidates for the special division, had anyone stood out in terms of raw talent, strength and knowledge.

The trials had lasted for about five hours when they were left with eleven recruits for the military, narrowed down from a hundred hopefuls. From these, Morgause judged that none of them were eligible for the special division, which concluded the recruitment trials. He could clearly see the joy on the faces of the accepted recruits. Most of them had likely attempted several times and been rejected prior to this day. Four females and the rest male, their ages ranging between twenty and thirty. The standards for acceptance was really high, and he couldn't know for sure if he or Morgause had decided on having such a high standard. He suspected that it was the latter.

He felt a lump forming in his gut as he silently followed Morgause towards the court room. He didn't want to do this, but he had no way out of this situation. He knew what was expected of him, to judge the non-magic to die for something that wasn't in his control. Even the thought of it made him feel sick to his stomach. He found himself wishing that the individual had just stayed away from the Sanctuary, and listened to the rumours that had been circulating through all of Camelot. Why had he even come to this place to begin with? He fought the urge to flee from the situation. He had to keep Gaius' advice in mind, and try to keep himself from hating himself for what he would have to do.

They reached the court room, stepping inside and finding their seats. He shifted around rather uncomfortably in his seat as he trailed his gaze over he ones present in the room.

"Bring her in." Morgause finally spoke, shooting a glance towards him from the corner of his eye. That had probably been his job, hadn't it?

It did not take long before a girl, no older than eleven was brought inside the court room, escorted by a pair of guards. He felt like the colour had washed away from his face at the sight of the girl. They could not be serious about this, could they? She was a child!

"Elaine Grieves, daughter of Ulrich Grieves and Jordine Grieves was suspected to be non-magic by her peers, and were appropriately reported to the correct authorities. Her parents knowingly harboured this child within their home, despite their knowledge of their child's lack of magical gifts. The procedure has been done, and her non-magic nature has already been confirmed." An official spoke as the young girl was brought down onto her knees before him and Morgause. His ears picked up the sounds of muffled sobbing in the background, reaching the conclusion that her parents were present.

"The law is clear on what is to happen to non-magics whom are found within the walls of the sanctuary." Morgause begun to speak, but the woman swiftly found herself interrupted.

He knew what was expected of him, but this was wrong. Hell, all of this was wrong. Doing this made them no better than Uther had been. This girl could have lived a large portion of her life in the sanctuary. It was not her fault that she had been born without magic, just as it was no one else's fault that they had been born with it.

"Where are her parents?" he questioned, glancing around the room. "Please step forwards!" he let out, ignoring the glance of surprise that had been cast towards him from Morgause. He heard chairs moving, and then soft yet swift foot steps on the stone floor. Eventually the parents stood besides their child. All three of them had brown hair, brown eyes and fair skin. They could not have claimed that their daughter was not their own, even if they wanted to. The resemblance was far too great.

"How long have you been living here, and how old was she when you moved to the sanctuary?" he was quick to question before anyone had a chance to protest. He felt anger and frustration boiling in his chest at the injustice that was being done here.

"We have been living here for six years, and Elaine was five when we made the move." Ulrich spoke, his head being kept bowed, avoiding eye contact.

"She grew up here. Were you aware that she did not have magic when you moved?" he carried on, ignoring the displeased mumbles in the court room, as well as Morgauses subtle attempts at getting his attention.

"We did not know, she was so young." the girls mother responded, tightly clutching onto her husbands hand.

He nodded his head lightly.

"I will not have a _child_ be executed for something that was never in her control! Living here was never her choice! She has been raised with the same ideals and mindset as every other child in this place, the only difference being that she can not use magic. She's just as much a citizen of the sanctuary as anyone else, non-magic or not!" he spoke, finding himself interrupted by a loud official. "The law is the law, my lord. And the law clearly states that any non-magics discovered within the walls of the sanctuary are to be sentenced to die. No one is exempt from this law, not even this girl."

"Do you support the execution of an innocent child, that has done nothing wrong? Her only crime is being raised here and being born without magic!" He barked out in response to the official, silencing the individual pretty swiftly.

"I will not have your child executed, but she can not remain here." He spoke, his gaze now turning towards the girl.

"You have until sunrise tomorrow to pack and leave this place. Your parents are free to leave the sanctuary as well, if they wish to do so." he concluded.

Her parents broke out into tears at the news, embracing their child tightly. "Thank you, my lord. Thank you!" they cried. Elaine appeared shocked as well, but soon she too joined her parents in tears once she realised what had just happened.

He kept his gaze fixed on the small family that stood before him, doing his best to ignore the displeased expressions of the others in the room.

"Escort them back to their home, and ensure that they are gone by sunrise tomorrow" he commanded.

He watched them leave, and once the family was gone, the court room broke out into a uproar. He hadn't followed Gaius' advice, but how could he have? He wouldn't have been able to live with himself had he sent that girl to her death.

" That is enough!" Morgause barked out, causing everyone to fall silent. "You are all dismissed!" she added, mumbles spreading in the room as the officials reluctantly left the area.

When the room was empty, except for Merlin and herself, she spoke more calmly.

"Do you care to explain why exactly you made that decision just now?"

"How about you tell me why killing that girl would have been the right thing to do? She was guilty of nothing but being brought here by her parents. Six years, Morgause. She had been here for six years. She was just as much a citizen as anyone else."

"It is the law, Merlin. The law you made. Why have you suddenly changed your mind about this? I wish to understand."

"Because I realised how unjust this law is, and how doing this makes me no better than Uther Pendragon. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, Morgause. That girl did not deserve to die for the sins others have committed. She was not guilty of anything. Her only crime was being non-magic, living in a place with magic. The law needs to be changed. Execution is not always the right punishment. She lost her home, I think that is enough."

"You have changed, Merlin. I do not know what to think of this"

"I just want this place to thrive." He stated, heading for the exit.

"Just trust me. It is for the better." he added, before he disappeared out of the room.

* * *

 ****I hope I didn't make Morgause nor Merlin seem OOC. I'm not really too familiar with Morgause's character so she's a bit difficult for me to do. I hope I have been doing her justice so far. We have also surpassed 5300 views, which is amazing! Your continued support blows my mind and I hope that you will continue to enjoy this story as it progresses! Thank you all so much****


	19. Chapter 18

_"Just trust me. It is for the better." he added, before he disappeared out of the room._

He strode down the hallway with quick steps, rounding a corner as his heart was pounding rapidly in his chest. He did not regret letting that girl leave, however he dreaded what may happen as a result of his decision. It was too late now anyways, he could not change what had been done, nor did he want to do so. There was now a burning question in his mind that he needed answered. What were the contents of those letters, and why had his counterpart gone to such an extent in hiding them where they would not be found? Were they personal letters or political ones? Exactly what was this secret he had been trying to keep?

He found himself striding down the hallway again, setting his course towards his chambers with quick and determined steps. He passed the dining room, finding that dinner was already being served, however he had no interest in that. His body craved sustenance, but his mind demanded answers. He dodged a few individuals whom were heading down the hall, dismissing their attempts at conversing with him with a quick "Don't have the time, sorry."

The door was swiftly shut behind him, and with a mutter of a word he locked the door. He couldn't bother to find the key, and he did not want anyone walking in on him right now.

He dragged the nightstand aside, recklessly knocking a few objects off the piece of furniture, but he did not necessarily mind that right now. The stone slab was quickly removed, shoved off to the side before he reached into the hole and retrieved the small stack of bound letters. His position shifted so that his back was leaning against the wall. His fingers grasped at the string, fumbling lightly as he untied the knot. Five letters in total, and all of them looked as if they had been opened, except one. Perhaps he hadn't have had the time to read it, before the switch took place.

He held his breath as he grasped a hold of the letter at the bottom of the stack, glancing towards the broken wax. He eventually unfolded the letter, allowing his gaze to scan over the contents of the page.

" _Merlin._

 _I thank you for your letter. I wish that I would have been able to get to know you, but I understand why that could not be. I wish that things could have been different, but I will still not involve myself in the feud between The Sanctuary and Camelot. I made my choice, and i am thankful that you've respected that decision, despite the opinions of your peers. You know as well as I that dragons are not meant to be used as weapons of war, and I am proud that I can call you my son. I have managed to settle down, and I am surprised that your letter managed to reach my residence. Camelot has not pursued me, nor have any soldiers from the Sanctuary, which is something I have to thank you for. My face not being well known and the fact that I am assumed to be dead in both places allows me the pleasure of living without fear, and with dignity, so do not worry for me, my son._

 _You made your own choice and followed your heart, and that makes me proud. Your mother raised you well, and you remind me of her. The news of her passing places a heavy burden upon my heart, and I wish that I could have supported you through your pain. Perhaps one day I will be able to live as your father, and watch over you as a father should, but until that day I hope that we can continue to exchange letters._

 _I realise the risks involved, but I am willing to take those risks in order to keep in contact with you, my son.  
_ _I wish you the best of luck in the time to come.  
_ _Balinor"_

He could hardly believe his eyes. He found himself reading over the parchment repeatedly, confusion filling his entire being. His father was still alive, but the dragon had said that he had been killed in cold blood. Kilgarrah had lied to him, but why would he do such a thing? He still had his dragon lord powers as well. He had commanded Kilgarrah, and he had been forced to obey. But his father had still been alive in this world. The closed letter meant that he had received it recently. His father must still be alive, even now. Did this mean that his abilities had transferred with him? It had to mean that, for it could not mean anything else.

It sounded like his father had been pressured into turning Kilgarrah against Camelot, but that he had refused. Why? How? and by who? It sounded like he had staged his fathers death somehow, and then spread the word until it reached Camelot as well. There was nothing evil about his counterpart. He was only misguided. He hadn't killed his father, but instead helped him escape with his life, and at the same time kept him from being hunted any longer. But by doing that, he had made himself sound like a corrupted and power-hungry monster to the rest of the world.

He fumbled after the second letter, unfolding the parchment to read the contents.

" _Merlin._

 _I have been well. I have found work in the fields of one of the nearby farms. It is hard, but honest work, and I find that the locals have been warming up to me some more after I got more involved with their daily affairs. Leading a life secluded from people for such a long time creates some habits and mannerisms that are hard to break, but interacting with them has been getting easier and easier for each passing day. Life is simple here, but I would not wish for more. Simple is perfect, and just what I need._

 _I am overjoyed to hear of these rumours, and I would gladly investigate wether or not they are true. A dragon egg hidden away somewhere. This warms my heart, for this means that Kilgarrah might not be the last of his kind. If these rumours prove to be true, then it is my duty to retrieve the egg and call forth the dragon. I will write to you when I learn more._

 _Are you doing well, my son? You do not write much about how you are doing, and I wish to know more about you and the life you are living. How are things, and what is The Sanctuary truly like? I wish to learn about the place you built, even though my initial experience with the place was not the best.  
_ _Take care of yourself, my son.  
_ _Balinor"_

Aithusa. His counterpart had told his father about Aithusa. Had she been found and hatched? He couldn't help but to smile with fondness as he read these letters. He had a relationship with his father in this world, even though it had to be kept a secret from the rest of the world. His counterpart had managed to keep so many of loved ones alive in this world, but he was misguided, and his ideals were twisted. But even then, with these twisted ideals, he was just like him, and he stayed true to his heart. Something must have been really pushing him towards the edge prior to the switch, for him to snap like he had. He doubted that finding Morgana had been the only reason for his rampage.  
He continued onto the next letter.

" _Merlin._

 _I have found leads regarding the location of the dragon egg and how to access it. It seems as though the rumour and legends surrounding it may be true. A comrade of mine has begun to collect the pieces of the triskelion, the key that gives access to the tower where the egg is kept. It may take some time, but I am hopeful that we will be able to summon forth a dragon in the near future._

 _I am glad to hear that you have been doing well, my son. I am intrigued at the things you've accomplished, and I could not be happier for you and Freya. She sounds like an incredible young woman, and I am glad that you have found someone who seems to care as much for you, as you do for her. I wish I could be there for the occasion, but you have by congratulations. I wish for nothing but the best for you and her. I was never able to experience marriage, but I loved your mother greatly. Your wife to be deserves the best, and nothing but the best, and never take her for granted, my son.  
_ _Balinor"_

He found himself blinking at the words he read on the letter. Marriage.. Freya. His mind went blank for a good while, his brain unable to form thoughts. He found himself half-smiling, fighting to push back the smile as it was appearing. He played with the idea in his mind, but pushed it away. It complicated things, if he was married. And he also felt rather terrible, his mind wandering towards his counterpart, who was stuck in his world. He had lost everything he knew and he had no one to guide him. He couldn't even summon Kilgarrah for advice. He was no dragon lord, and to his knowledge the great dragon was locked underneath Camelot. It was horrible.

He couldn't help but to feel a bit queasy, but regardless he reached for the next letter. This was the last one that had been opened.

" _Merlin._

 _We found the dragon egg, but my comrade died during the retrieval of the egg. The egg was hatched, and she was truly magnificent. I have never seen a pure white dragon before in my life, and she is stunning. Aithusa. That is the name she has been given. She will not be able to reside with me, but she will be taken care of. I wish you had been able to see the egg hatching. It is always incredible, helping a dragon come into this world. One day, you may be able to experience it yourself. The power of a dragon lord is passed down from father to son after all, as you know._

 _I am proud that you are resisting the pressure from your council men. Kilgarrah is not a weapon to be used against Camelot. I understand the situation you are in, and what may happen if it is discovered that you are not a dragon lord. I will make sure that Aithusa remains unseen, but I am afraid that it is all that I can do in order to help you. I wish there was more that I could do for you, my son._

 _I would also like to congratulate you on your wedding. Take good care of each other. I hope that I will one day be able to meet your wife properly, and perhaps your children one day, should you have some. Your mother would have been so overjoyed. I am sure that she is watching over you, proud.  
_ _Best of wishes,  
_ _Balinor"_

The council men had been pressuring him to make use of Kilgarrah. His counterpart couldn't do it, even if he had wanted to. Perhaps they had been on his case about it ever since he supposedly killed his father. It was a tricky situation, that was for sure. He wondered what Morgause's stance was on all of this, but he suspected that the woman agreed with the council men. He would have been surprised if that was not the case. The woman wanted to see the end of the Pendragons, and undoubtedly a dragon would be the easiest way.

All that remained now was the unopened letter. His fingers broke the wax seal, the male opening the letter to read the contents.

" _Merlin._

 _I heard of the conflict between the sanctuary and Camelot. It sounded like the casualties were great on both sides, and I fear for what may come in the future if Camelot takes up a more aggressive approach. I have not received another letter from you, but I can understand that things have been very busy after the attack. I can not understand what drove Camelot into attacking now, but I am concerned about what may happen should they attack once more. Be careful, my son. War is a terrible thing, and I do not wish to see the sanctuary nor camelot plunged into one. Things are very fragile now, and tension is high. The villagers are feeling uneasy and unsafe. It will not take much before a war is sparked. Try to avoid it at all costs. War is never pretty, and it brings about more misery than good._

 _I hope you are well, safe and unharmed. I desperately wish I could be there. I want to help you, but in order to do that I need to learn of what is going on. Please reply to this letter, for I am worried about you, my son.  
_ _Balinor"_

He lowered the letter down onto his lap, lifting his gaze and peering towards the wall across the room. He had realised that the sanctuary and camelot weren't exactly friendly, but if things were this unstable.. He did not want a war. The battle of Camlann had been enough, and he did not want a repeat. It was a lot to digest, and he had many thoughts churning through his mind. He had learned so many things in such a short while, and he was beginning to get a grasp of the current situation.

He needed to avoid this war at all costs, for he feared that Morgana's dream may not be restricted to the nearest future.

* * *

 **This concludes part two of this story! I hope i've left you excited for the next part of this story, which will take place after a brief time skip! Next chapter will be from Evil!Merlin's perspective though, in order to fully catch his side of the story up to Good!Merlin :)**


	20. Chapter 19

_**A/N:**_ **This entire chapter takes place in Good!Merlin' world, through Evil!Merlin's perspective. It is a summary of what has occurred since the last dream segment, and up until where the last chapter left off. Leaving this note in order to avoid confusion.**

* * *

 _He took several steps away, his gaze landing on Gaius ever so briefly, before he turned around, heading away from Guinevere and Gaius both, sprinting down the hallway. He needed Morgause, he needed her to set his thoughts straight, to help him work through everything. He needed her support and her counsel. He needed a friend, and someone he could trust.(*)_

His mind went blank as he stood at the place where his home had been. His body filled with despair and desperation when he realised that everything he had built, and the safe haven that he had created for sorcerers did not exist. There wasn't even a single trace left of the place. Surely, if it had been destroyed, then there would have been ruins left behind, but there were no signs of the area ever having been touched. It was gone, completely gone. He had prayed for their words to be lies, however he could not explain this, not in a rational way. The Sanctuary had never existed. Freya was nowhere to be found, nor was Morgause.

His hands were placed on his head, clutching his hair tightly as he begun to hyperventilate. Tears were forcing their way through his eyes, running down his cheeks. He could feel his legs threaten to give away from underneath him as he found support in a nearby tree, sinking to the ground slowly. How could this happen? He had spent years of his life building this place. He would have done anything in order to keep those people safe from harm. That was why he had marched on Camelot after Morgana's death, why he had been so set on stopping the madness that had plagued the lands for so long, why he had been so set on bringing Arthur to justice, once and for all. They had attacked his home, and although they had narrowly repelled the attack, he could not ignore it.

He had attacked those people, when they had done nothing to warrant the wrath that he had released upon them. He had no way to know. How could he have known that everything had changed just like that? He should have seen the signs, but he had been too blinded by his fury to think straight.

He removed his hands from his head, peering towards them. His vision was blurred from his tears, but even a blind man could have seen that he was shaking. He wrapped his arms around his chest, curling himself into a ball as he sat there. His shoulders shook heavily with each sob that left his body. He felt cold and hot at the same time. It felt like he was suffocating, every breath he drew feeling as though it may very well be his last. He was panicking, and he had no one he could turn to. He was completely alone. Morgause and Freya were both nowhere to be found. If what they had said was true, then Morgause was dead. The woman had been his rock, ever since his mother had died. He had always had her to fall back on, to go for advice and counsel. The mere thought of her being dead made his entire body shiver uncontrollably. He was beginning to feel dizzy from the lack of air, the young warlock struggling to get a hold of himself.

Where were all the people? What of his father? What had happened to them if the sanctuary had never existed? Were they still living in fear of being discovered and executed? Did his father even know him, and where was he?

His panic had rendered him exhausted beyond belief, and he drifted off to sleep with thoughts still swirling through his head. And he dreamt dreams he could not understand. They felt too real to be mere nightmares, and they felt far to real to be dreams. He had not slept a proper night since he had found Morgana, his sleep never lasting long enough for him to catch anything coherent from the dreams he had been having.

 _He dreamt of himself, travelling towards Camelot like a fool and being attacked at the gates, not retaliating and as a result he was injured after attempting to plead with the King. He could almost feel the pain of the wound he had suffered in his sleep. He watched himself as he retreated to a clearing in the forest, and shouted a strange language he himself could not understand, desperately waiting for something or someone to come. He witnessed himself break down into tears and panic when he realised that he was on his very own and alone. He observed as he made his way into Camelot, past the guards, Morgana and Gwen with ease and a much more intimate knowledge of the Castle than he had ever had._

 _He made his way to the cave beneath the castle, in order to speak to the dragon, where he was met with justified scepticism and hostility. Again he pleaded with the dragon, claiming that he was not from this world, begging for the great beast to believe him. The beast explained about the lunar eclipse and the veil between the words and about an exchange of souls. He then claimed to be a Dragon Lord, and then proceeded to command the dragon when he refused to follow his bidding. The beast was forced to obey. He must go to a place where the Old Religion is at its strongest, when the sun is swallowed by darkness, and he had a year to decide wether he wished to return, or not. He promised to free the dragon, and then requested information regarding his father. He was infuriated when he heard what the dragon had to say._

He awoke from his sleep as he was leaving the castle. The dream had been so strange, yet so life-like. It had almost felt as if he had been there. It left him confused, but in his drowsiness he somehow managed to make sense of what had happened. He had solid proof that something must have happened, and his proof was that his home had never existed. The mere thought of something like this happening shocked him beyond belief, and he found himself a bit lost as to what would happen next. Perhaps he should travel to Ealdor, in order to see if his mother was alive. He had nowhere else he could go. He was without a home, and he was on his very own.

He begun the journey towards Ealdor, finding no trouble in his travels. He eventually reached the small village, grinding his teeth lightly as he approached his mothers house. He found himself freezing in place as a face he had missed dearly exit the door of the house.

He could feel his heart pounding rapidly in his chest as he heard the voice of his mother for the first time in many years.

"Merlin, my son! It has been so long, why did you not write to tell me that you were coming?" She questioned.

Tears broke forth through his eyes as he rushed forwards, silently wrapping his arms tightly around his mother. He could feel her warm embrace surrounding him, bringing him the comfort only a mothers hug could provide.

"I have missed you so much, Mother. More than you can begin to know." He whispered out in-between his tear-filled sobs. He felt warm to his core, a smile appearing vibrantly on his face despite the tears. His mother was alive and well, and he could not begin to count how many times he had dreamt of a moment like this, only to wake up and realise that it had only been a dream. Seeing his mother almost made everything that had happened worth it, but only almost.

"Did something happen, Merlin?" He could hear the voice of his mother say. He could listen to her voice all day long, and never tire, for he feared that he may wake up at any moment now.

"No, mother. Everything is fine. It couldn't be better" He spoke in response.

"How long will you be staying, and did you not bring anything with you?"

"I lost my knapsack on the way, and I'll be staying for a while. A year, perhaps longer."

"And what of your duties in Camelot, do you not have to go back?"

"I won't be missed, and I no longer have duties there any longer, mother. Besides, I figure that you could use the help around here."

He reluctantly released his embrace of his mother, fearing that if he let her go, that she would disappear into thin air. He held his breath until he realised that that did not happen. He was put to work rather quickly after his return, helping with the crops and the farm animals and getting back into the rhythm he had before he had left Ealdor all those years ago. It did not feel the same without Will around, though, but had it not been for him.. He owed his friend his life, and therefore he decided that he would do everything in his power to help his family with their work as well. He felt happy and loved. He was thankful for this opportunity that he had been given.

Had it not been for the swap that had taken place, then he would never have been able to see his mother, and now he would be able to spend a whole year with her. He knew that it could not last. He had people to look after, and he could not remain here forever. He knew that he at some point would have to return to his own world, to his wife, to his father, to Morgause and last but not least to the Sanctuary.

He continued to dream of what his counterpart did in his world, about his arrest in Camelot, about his escape and the assistance he had gotten from Gaius and Morgana both, and the desperation he felt regarding the dreams he had been having. He finally learned the truth of what had happened regarding his mother, and felt angry and disappointed at himself. He had been mistaken about Gaius and Arthur. Had he known the truth, then things could have turned out so differently. He had been so absorbed in his grief and fury, that he hadn't listened or even tried to learn the truth. He watched his counterpart arrive at the Sanctuary, and he saw him discover the letters he had hidden away with relative ease. He saw him interact with his wife, and the reluctance he had, and he observed as he spared a non-magical girls life, allowing her to leave The Sanctuary with her family. The dreams had taught him so much, and made him all too aware at how unstable things were between Camelot and The Sanctuary.

He hoped that his counterpart would not mess everything up, so that he would still have a home to return to in a years time.

He had certainly made a mess of things in his counterparts world, but it was too late to go back and change things. He only hoped that his counterparts friends would be understanding enough to not blame him for what had happened. He didn't need destroying his counterparts chance of going home on his conscience as well.

He would remain in Ealdor for as long as he could, spending time with his mother until he would have to leave. This world seemed peaceful and somewhat united. Like his father had written. A simple life was just what he needed right now.

* * *

 **(*)Snippet from Chapter 13, the last glimpse we had from Evil!Merlin's perspective.  
I hope you enjoy this chapter, and catching up with Evil!Merlin, even though this chapter is written in a very 'summary' manner. Putting as much detail into this side of the story as the rest would take several chapters, and this is merely a side portion of the story. I also need a better name for Evil!Merlin, as he isn't exactly 'evil'**  
 **Please let me know what you think, I love reading your thoughts about the story! Third part begins in the next chapter!**


	21. Chapter 20(Rewritten)

_Part Three_

 _Choices and Consequences_

Half a year went by, almost as if in the blink of an eye. He found himself settling down more, although he never felt at home, nor did he ever feel at ease while walking through the halls. The first month he had spent familiarizing himself. He still didn't know the full layout of the building, nor the city, but it seemed to be enough for him to navigate without seeming out of place.

He had been faced with a couple of tough decisions, one being the relationship with Freya. It didn't feel right, but yet, at the same time it did. Things had undoubtedly grown more strained between them, yet they weren't as estranged as one would suspect. He found himself enjoying their interactions, yet he managed to hold himself back enough so that he would not fall completely head over heels with the woman once more.

Morgause did not seem quite as trusting as she once had been. Perhaps she had sensed that there was something off about him, something that was not quite right. It did not help that he was avoiding their encounters as much as possible, and skipping out on the council meetings as often as he could without coming across as negligent. More times than not he weaseled his way out of the long, boring meetings. He realized that he would have to attend more of those meetings, if he didn't want the woman growing even more suspicious than she already had. His reluctance to punish those without magic did not exactly aid his cause.

Truth be told, the woman wasn't all that bad. She even had a sense of humor, if you looked hard enough. Although he never let his guard down around her, he could see why his counterpart had trusted the woman as much as he had. It seemed like she cared, but he wasn't fully sure if it was completely genuine yet, or not. She was incredibly skilled at seeing through his lies, but not good enough. Six months in, and she had not discovered that he was different, suspicions put aside.

After the incident with the girl and her family several months back, there had been a few similar cases, where he had passed the same judgment. The council men did not agree, and he found them arguing back against him more than they had done in the earlier days.

It seemed as though a seed of dissent had been sowed through his actions, or rather his reluctance to act. He still wasn't quite sure as to how he was going to handle it, but he felt more sympathy towards Arthur now, knowing more personally what it was like to govern a city. He could hardly imagine the stress it must have been to govern a kingdom, not to mention the boredom. Oh the boredom was even worse. Hours spent listening to old men drag on about about the same matters, over and over again without a doubt the worst part of these meetings. He should have been more annoying back when he served Arthur, because he had wished on more than one occasion that there was an annoyance breathing down his neck, to keep him on his toes.

Things could've been better, that was for sure, but everything wasn't all bad. Of course, his inaction towards non-magics had caused a rebel group of sorcerers to arise. They called themselves The Red Ravens, though he wasn't exactly sure of the origin of their name. They demanded that he stepped down, and claimed that he didn't have the sorcerers best interests in mind. Perhaps they were right.

Morgause had tried to issue escorts to follow him through the Sanctuary, being afraid that the Red Ravens may choose to attack him directly. He had refused, of course, but he wasn't sure if the attempt had been out of genuine care and concern, or if it had been an attempt to keep track of his movements.

The Red Ravens had been responsible for more than one attack on Camelot in the last few months, and their active numbers were estimated to be in fifties of sixties, but surely their numbers were higher than that. He had tried to condemn the attacks, saying the Sanctuary had no hand in them, but despite his correspondence, tensions were higher than ever between the two sides. He feared that if things kept going the way they were going, that they may have a full blown war on their hands, and he did not want that to happen. He had already gone through one war in his lifetime, and he didn't feel the need to experience a second one.

His correspondence with Balinor had come to an abrupt halt. He simply did not know how the letters had been delivered, nor how they had been received. No matter how much he wanted to continue exchanging letters, it simply wasn't possible. But perhaps it was for the best. He didn't know how he'd explain away the letters if they were intercepted, and with Morgause's suspicions of him, writing to his father was not a risk worth taking.

A month ago, he had realized that his counterpart had been having the same type of dreams as he did. It had suddenly been very evident in the way his counterpart had acted in his world. The change in behavior after he himself had made a mistake, or after the Red Ravens had attacked Camelot for the second time. Their connection also seemed to be getting stronger. He could physically feel his counterparts pain upon his body. An injury he suffered could be felt as an ache upon his own body for days after the vision. It may have something to do with solar eclipse getting closer and closer. It seemed to affect his counterpart the same way.

It made sense for the connection to go both ways, but the developments considered, he wasn't sure of where he ought to take it from there. Maybe he'd be able to communicate, to get some answers, and to let his counterpart know what was going on. It was something he'd have to look into in the future.

He couldn't really afford to make many more mistakes, without losing the support of Morgause, and without getting kicked out of the council, which would be devastating. Though, he doubted that would happen for as long as they thought he was a dragon lord.. Which he was, but wasn't supposed to be.

He was used to keeping secrets, but compared to this, keeping the secret of his magic had been a piece of cake. There were quite a lot of lies and altered truths he had to keep track of, to the point where he found himself keeping a journal in order to keep track of it all. He hid it away with the letters underneath the stone slab. Sure, it was risky, but it was necessary.

He had to be careful moving forward. But despite it all, he still had a burning question, even after all these months. Why were these two worlds so different? He knew what had caused it, which had been the death of his mother, at the forced hand of Arthur, but he didn't know how it came to that. How did Uther find out about his magic? What had he done, that caused his secret to be revealed? He didn't need to know, but he wanted to learn what had happened.

The months to come weren't going to be easy. Having to deal with a rebellious group within his own walls, war on the horizon, a suspicious Morgause, dissent in the council and an estranged wife, he didn't see himself having an easy time going forward. He only hoped that he wouldn't mess everything up more than he had.

 ****A/N: Found myself stuck for the longest time on how to go forward with this story, and thus I decided to rewrite the time skip chapter, and take a different approach to how this story is going. Sorry for the incredibly long wait. Semi-frequent updates will come. At least once a week. Thank you all for being patient!****


	22. Chapter 21

He offered the council men a small bow of his head before he exit the room upon the end of the meeting. Today he had been the first to get there, much to everyone's surprise, but he was also the first person to leave the room at the end of it. It was a little past noon, and he had promised a certain someone that he would, without a doubt, join her for supper this afternoon. He had found himself drifting around the last couple of times, only realizing what time it was when it was too late. She made him promise to come, and promise he did.

He begun to traverse down the now familiar hallways, before an all too familiar feminine voice echoed from behind.

"Merlin." the voice spoke, and the young man turned towards the source.

"Freya, I was just headed.." he begun, gesturing in the direction of the dining hall.

She smiled towards him. "I know. But I was thinking that perhaps we could have supper somewhere else today. We always eat in the dining hall, and a change of scenery would do us both good, don't you think?"

"Of course. Did you have anywhere in mind?" he replied, his gaze trailing away from her face, and towards the basket she was hunching down to retrieve off the floor.

"Well, the weather is nice for an autumn day. I have been thinking that we could head out to the farmers district, and find ourselves a nice patch of grass and eat outside today. The sun should linger longer on the southern side. I already packed some food, so if you are ready to go?" Freya spoke, the smile lingering upon her face.

"I'll just go and get my jacket. Actually, I could meet you there. Should I take the basket with me? It looks a little heavy." he spoke, a slightly sheepish smile appearing on his face, for seemingly no reason. It happened, mainly when he was around her.

"No, it's fine. It's not heavy at all. I'll meet you just outside of the southern gates then. Don't take too long."

"Oh, I won't, trust me. I'll be there before you know it" he stated. He stood there, grinning like a fool for several moments.

"Merlin?"She spoke.

"Oh, right.. I should get going."he finally let out, removing his gaze from the woman. He started into a jog down the hallway, his ears catching onto the sound of a soft chuckle behind him.

As he rounded the corner, he smacked himself across the head. "No. Don't even.." he warned himself lowly in a soft growl. He felt like he acted like a love-struck fool, which he probably was. He'd deny that fact to himself, though. Because he most certainly was not going to fall for her a second time. Though he most likely already had.

He walked with big, hurried steps down the hall, until his ears picked up on an abrupt echoing sound from behind. He came to a sudden halt, casting a glance over his shoulder. There was nothing there, but he couldn't help but to furrow his brow. It had almost sounded like footsteps. He stood there for several moments, waiting for somebody to round the corner, but nobody did.

The feeling of being watched made goosebumps run up his arms. Perhaps it was nothing, but it sure didn't feel like nothing.

However, enough time had been wasted, and he hesitantly turned his gaze away from the direction of the sound, and continued on down the hallway.

As he walked, an occasional glance was cast over his shoulder, but there was never anyone there. The feeling of being watched lingered though. It lingered for quite a while.

He shut the door to his room firmly behind himself, striding across the floor to retrieve the jacket he had nonchalantly flung onto the floor the day before. He slid the jacket on over his tunic, sub-consciously straightening out the sleeves a little while casting a gaze towards the mirror. A hand absentmindedly moved up, fixing his hair. He headed back towards the door, opened it, and shut it close behind him. He rarely locked it, but today he did.

He glanced down the hallway before he begun walking once more. The eerie feeling of being watched never left him.

He took a deep breath as he exit the main building, allowing his gaze to trail over the main district. It was as busy as ever. He then made his way towards the southern gate, traveling down the main road until he exit the main district and entered the housing district. Here, the main road was so crowded and packed with people, he found himself slipping into a side road in order to get there quicker. He usually would have stuck to the main road, but he had already wasted so much time. Freya was sure to be growing a little impatient by now, and he didn't want to keep her waiting any longer. Fetching his jacket shouldn't take fifteen or closer twenty minutes. He didn't want her to think that he had forgotten about her, nor have her worry.

The buildings around him were mostly constructed out of stone, with an occasional wooden building. Most buildings in the sanctuary were made from wood, but then again it wasn't often he headed to the southern part of the sanctuary. He supposed he wasn't that familiar after all. Laundry had been hung on wooden poles between the buildings, suspended above the ground between two windows, clearly a collaborative effort between the two families. This side road was oddly calm, and the sound of the nearby main road was drowned out from behind the buildings. He could hear the distant sound of a few dogs barking, and the cry of a baby in one of the nearby houses. There had to be a stable nearby, because he could smell a faint scent of manure. The scent mixed with the scent of smoke, which probably came from one of the forges on the main road. This street however, seemed oddly abandoned. He had only seen a handful of people walking past him. He thought that more people would have drawn away from the main road, and into the less packed side roads. He had a sudden desire to get back onto the main road. This just didn't sit right with him, but perhaps he was just feeling a little paranoid.

He turned to head down into one of the smaller alleys that lead back towards the main road. But before he had the time to react he felt a blunt, stinging pain wash across his head as he fell backwards and to the ground witha loud thud and a slide. His skin felt sore from the fall, and it also felt moist. For a moment, he was completely disorientated.

He forced his eyes back open, attempting to focus his gaze on his surroundings. Around him he saw silhouettes. His brain needed a moment to process the information. Red. Red cloaks and red masks.

One of the silhouettes held a wooden staff within it's grasp. It seemed to be red too on the end, but that was not paint or dye.

He was struggling to piece everything together, until he felt something warm and sticky run down the side of his head. A hand rose, touching the substance. It was red as well. He was bleeding. Sluggishly he moved to thrust his hand forwards, still dazed from the impact to his head, in an attempt to force them all backwards and into the surrounding walls. But before his hand could finish the movement, a force pulled him from the ground at the mutter of a few words. He felt a sinking sensation in his gut, before his body crashed into a nearby wall. It knocked the wind cleanly out of him, rendering him a gasping and limp mess on the ground.

He heard a voice. A male voice. It was deep and rough. He couldn't make out exactly what was said, but heard something along the lines being disappointed. It carried a humoristic tone to it, as if the individual was amused. Merlin turned his head in their direction, as he struggled to get himself onto all fours. His gaze was beginning to focus again. First he noticed the red substance that fell from his body and onto the ground, and then it fully turned towards his assailants.

Seven silhouettes. The one in the center held the wooden staff. He seemed to have been the source of the deep and rough voice. His cloak could not conceal the size of his body. He looked as though he could've snapped Percival in half with his bare fists, had they ever met in battle.

He found support on the nearby wall, pulling himself up to a stand. They allowed this, even after an ambush like they had just launched upon him. They had caught him off guard, he was outnumbered, and they were all sorcerers.

A hand thrust out towards his assailants as he attempted to escape with the wall as support.

One of the sorcerers fell victim to his thrust, but shortly after he found himself lifting off the ground for a second time, through a collective effort of the remaining six. Violently they send him crashing into yet another wall.

The impact made a sickening sound, and he released a scream of pain, which only lasted a moment before the air was once again knocked out of him. He was momentarily pinned against the structure, before he was released, dropping down to the ground below with yet another thud.

He gasped, trying to cough so that he may catch his breath, but all he found was a sharp pain that ran across his chest. Wide-eyed he stared towards his assailants, his heart racing.. A ringing sound echoed through his ears, reducing all the surrounding sounds of their voices to mere mumbles.

The seventh assailant joined the others again, seeming a bit worse for wear as they all closed in on him. An intense feeling of fear washed over him, as he attempted to pull himself into a crawl across the ground. He flung his arm towards the approaching group, his eyes flashing yellow for the second time in this encounter. He sent three of them flying backwards in one fell swoop. It however cost him his balance, causing him to slip down onto the ground once more.

Desperately, he raised a hand again, but it was a little late. A force pushed him mercilessly back against the wall, this time pinning him. It seemed to be a collaborative effort of three people, as the three he had knocked away seemed to be regaining their composure.

How could this be happening? He had almost singlehandedly defeated an army with the use of magic alone, but seven sorcerers seemed to be all it took. This was an entirely different form of fighting. He was helpless. He had lost the moment they caught him off guard. The blow to the head had made him sluggish, dazed and disorientated, while numbing his senses with pain. He never stood a chance, and now he couldn't even move, let alone escape. He was struggling to breathe, his body was aching all over. He could almost swear that they had broken a few bones in his body, and he was bleeding.

He couldn't even try to escape any more. Three of them had him pinned against the wall, while the large cloaked man with the staff approached. The things they had said had eluded him, but they hadn't said much at all. It made it all even more frightening than it already was. It seemed as though they only had one mission in mind, and he feared that he knew what that mission was.

The bloodied end of the staff was placed against his chest, pushing against his midsection. The pain was intense. He couldn't help but to cry out, clenching his teeth and closing his eyes shut. Something else was said, but he was in too much pain to register what it was.

He was struck again, before he was abruptly dropped to the ground. His ears rang, and his vision blurred as he saw a mass of silhouettes being flung back violently. He heard the sound of a feminine voice. He tried to lift his head to catch a glimpse of who it was, but instead he found his consciousness slipping away as the sound of combat filled his surroundings.

The last thing he felt before he fell completely unconscious, as combat continued on, was a pair of hands grasping onto his body, pulling him across the ground.


	23. Chapter 22

Merlin awoke at first light, finding his mother to still be soundly asleep. He was certain that not even the rooster would be awake just yet, or at least it had yet to make a sound. Silently he snuck his way out of his home and out into the damp and cold air that hung over Ealdor, carrying his boots in his grasp. He slipped his feet into the boots, which offered some protection against the rough and cold gravel road.

He drew a deep breath inhaling the fresh morning air, before his feet carried him off in the direction of the house of Will's parents. He had found that they had been struggling ever since the loss of their son. His guilty conscience was what made him aid them in their early morning tasks. They had on multiple occasion told him that it was hardly necessary for him to aid them, but he chose to do so regardless.

It only took a few hours to get the work done. He had made a choice to not take any aid from his magic in completing these tasks. He wasn't as used to manual labor anymore, after living in the sanctuary, as he had been before, many years ago, but over the last few months, it had improved considerably.

His mother found him, in order to bring him home in time for breakfast. He didn't object, his tasks with Will's family already being done for the day. He peered up towards the sun. It was still early in the morning, several hours left until mid-day. Following after his mother, he entered their home, taking a seat at the table, where he was promptly handed a bowl of oats boiled with goat milk, as well as some bread, which was left over from the day before. It hardly tasted like much, when compared to the meals he had in the Sanctuary, but he found no reason to complain. It filled his stomach, and kept him full until supper, not to mention it was his mothers cooking. That in itself made every meal delicious.

The bowl was held in one hand, and the wooden spoon held in the other. The bread laid on a wooden plate on the unstable, yet fully usable wooden table. The warm oats were scooped up into the spoon and brought to his mouth. They had some idle talk, about what they'd be doing for the day, or more specifically, the tasks his mother specifically wanted him to complete _today_.

"Do you think you could help poor Margareth and Jonathan with their harvest today? Poor sweet Jonathan threw his back out, so their harvest is going slow. They've been good to us, and they are old. Maybe you could help him with the pain as well? I know it has been a few months, but surely you must remember a thing or two of what Gaius taught you." Hunith absentmindedly spoke during their breakfast.

Merlin nodded, offering a smile with his response.

"Of course, mother. I'll do what I can for them. I should get some firewood too. We are running low, and we'll need more for winter"

"Oh yes, please do, if you find the time."

He nodded, now concentrating on finishing the remainder of his breakfast.

With a jolt, he got himself to his feet, placed a kiss upon his mothers cheek, before he headed out the door to officially get started with his day. He closed the door behind himself, now heading off towards Margareth and Jonathan's farmstead. It laid a little outside of Ealdor, but no further than a five minute walk.

Margareth and Jonathan were an elderly couple, yet they had no children to aid in the farm work during their old age. Occasionally they were visited from nephews and niece's and their children. They usually came during the harvest season, he had been told, but this year they had seen no trace of them.

Jonathan had been adamant to do the work on his own, being the stubborn old man he was, and as a result, his back must've given in, rendering him incapable of continuing. The mans face had been weathered due to long years of heavy work. The sun had aged his skin, and age had deepened his eyes, and given them a character he couldn't quite pinpoint nor understand, he had seen things in his life, but he would not speak of the past. His shoulders always seemed to be constantly hunched, and he seemed to have shrunk in height through the years. The old man had his respect. He was non-apologetically proud of who he was, and the man wouldn't have wanted his life to be any other way. He was a man of few words, and the stubborn old man emitted an aura of authority. Seeing a smile appear on his wrinkled and weathered features was a rarity. He had yet to experience such an event.

Margareth was a sweet old lady, who seemed out of place living in a village like Ealdor. Her physique was petite, standing no taller than the average child of twelve, but the woman carried herself with grace. She spoke in a dialect he couldn't quite pinpoint. Each word she spoke was properly pronounced, with perfect enunciation, and she spoke many of them. She was a contrast to her husband. Where he spoke few words, she spoke many. She seemed to enjoy the sound of her own voice, and enjoyed sharing tales of her past. At least up until a certain point. If you pried too much, Margareth too would fall silent. The woman was a talented cook, and had on more than one occasion sent her husband with a pot of porridge or excess food to their doorstep. She personally never seemed to leave the farmstead. One would think that the woman, with such a passion for talking, would seek out people to converse with. He had on a few occasions ran errands to their farmstead, finding Margareth chatting on with her husband, where as his response was silence.

He had heard from his mother that Margareth and Jonathan had been in Ealdor for well over twenty years. Though, Margareth had never mothered any children, and Jonathan had never fathered any either. The two of them seemed content, and they rarely interacted with the others in the village. It was as if they lived in their own little bubble. But they had been very good to him and his mother.

Frost would soon be upon Ealdor, as autumn drew closer to winter, and unless they got the harvest out of the soil before then, then the food would be spoiled. Their farmstead came into view, and Margareth was already up and about, preparing for the days harvest. Jonathan was nowhere to be seen. He assumed that the man must be inside, resting.

"Good morning, Margareth. Up and at it, are you?" Merlin spoke towards the elderly woman.

Her head lifted, a smile spreading upon her wrinkled features.

"Merlin, Merlin. It is good to see you. Have you come to help with the harvest?" the woman questioned in a gleeful manner.

"I have. How's Jonathan doing?" he questioned.

"Oh, you know him. He will be fine. As long as I can get him to keep to the bed, then I am utmost certain that he will be back to his usual, stubborn old self" Margareth stated in response.

They could both hear a grumble escaping the open door.

"Mother asked me to have a look at his back, but I am not certain I can help with that." Merlin stated, his gaze trailing towards the door.

"Oh, do not worry, do not worry. I can handle it just fine on my own. Here's a basket for the vegetables, and there's a basket for the potatoes. Jonathan managed to do one fifth of the field before he hurt himself. We should've asked for your help right away, but you know how he can be. Have you had breakfast yet? There's a little left over if you are hungry. And how is your mother doing, dear? Is all just fine? Are you two in need of anything?" Margareth chatted on, barely leaving any openings for him to respond.

"Oh, no. I had breakfast. Thank you for the offer though. Mother is doing fine. She is a little tired, but I try to help out the best I can. In fact, I'll be heading off to gather firewood once we are done here. Are you two in need of any? It'd be no trouble, really."

"That would be utmost kind of you, young man."

"Great! I'll get to it then!" Merlin grinned, grabbing a hold of the two baskets. He trekked on out into the field, setting down the two baskets. Some tools were retrieved, before he begun the harvest. Their fields were rather large, and covering it all should've been a three-man job. He was making steady progress, catching a glimpse of Margareth's movements near the house. Clearly, she must have been checking up on her husband. An hour in, the woman trailed towards him, chatted for a while, before she disappeared again. Half an hour later, she came back with a mug of water, and a pastry, ordering him to take a break. Another hour later, she returned, doing the exact same thing. It almost felt like he was being forced to take breaks so often, he hardly got any work done.

It was mid-day now, and surprisingly enough, despite the countless forced breaks, he had managed to work his way through a good half of the field.

Margareth approached now, once again.

"You should come inside. I'll be preparing something to eat. I am sure Jonathan would enjoy your company, and as would I."

"Actually, if you don't mind, I should head back home and help mother a little. I'll be back to finish up once we've had a meal." he spoke in response, slapping the earth and soil off his hands.

Margareth's smile faltered momentarily. He noticed.

"Merlin, I insist. Surely your mother will accept it if you miss one meal. I simply wish to repay you for your hard work thus far." the woman spoke, maintaining a smile.

"I really ought to head home for a little bit, though. And really, don't worry about repaying me. It's a pleasure to help." he stated.

"I insist." the woman responded. The smile now continued to falter.

Merlin fully rose to his feet.

"Perhaps some other time." he smiled towards her. "I'll be back in a short bit though." he stated, beginning to feel a little uneasy in the womans presence. As he turned to leave, Margareth raised her voice, shouting towards him.

"You can not go! You will dine with us today, and afterwards, once you are done with the fields, will head straight out to gather wood. You can _not_ go home."

The sudden shout startled him. He had never heard the soft-spoken Margareth shout before now.

He felt a chill run down his spine. And once he felt a firm tug on his arm, he moved to pry it away from her grasp. He started away from the farmstead, with swift steps.

"I am sorry, Margareth. I will see you in an hour or so." he quickly spoke as he headed away.

"Merlin, stop right there!" Margareth called out after him, but he continued on.

"Boy!" a male, deep and rough voice sounded. He cast a glance back, seeing Jonathan standing in the doorway to the house, unhindered and not in any apparent pain.

Merlin continued forwards, aiming to get away from the two elderly people, at least for the time being. Frankly he didn't understand why they were acting in such a manner, nor did he understand how Jonathan was moving around like he was. Had it all been a ruse? He felt uneasy, and unsure of what the two elderly people had in mind. They hadn't acted like this before, and he frankly did not like it in the slightest.

One moment he felt fine, and then the next, it felt as though he had slammed his head hard into something solid. His hands raised to grasp at his head, as he let out a deep gasp for air. Pain spread through his body, as if he was being repeatedly beaten, and his mind blurred.

Hands grasped onto him, two pairs. He seemed to have stumbled and fallen to his knees or similar to that.

He could hear worry in Margareth's voice, and he felt the firm grip of Jonathan on his arms.

Reluctantly, he was brought towards their house, and hurried inside by the two elderly people.

He must've dozed off once he had been brought inside, for when he came to, an hour or two had passed.

His first instinct was to dart for the door as he awoke, but his path seemed to be blocked by Jonathan.

"Sit, boy." The man spoke, gesturing towards a chair.

Merlin glanced around the room, catching a glimpse of Margareth, who seemed to be holding her head in the palms of her hands, looking rather distraught.

"What's going on?" He questioned, peering towards Jonathan again. His only response was "Sit."

Reluctantly, Merlin found himself a seat across the table. His body was aching all over, for reasons he wasn't sure why, yet.

"I should've handled it better. I scared you, didn't I?" Margareth spoke towards him.

He didn't respond.

"You can't go back to the village today. There's going to be a Camelot patrol passing through, in search of you." the elderly woman revealed.

Merlin furrowed his brow.

"How do you know that?" he questioned.

"I saw it in one of my dreams."She revealed.

"I'm a little confused."

"I see what has yet to happen. I always have, my whole life."

"You have magic?" He could hardly believe it. Well, maybe it wasn't that hard to believe after all. There seemed to be sorcerers everywhere, if only you looked hard enough.

"I'm only a seer, Merlin." Margareth revealed.

Jonathan remained silent through the exchange.

"You could've just told me, you know. Then this wouldn't have happened like it did.."

"I could have.. but you're not you, are you?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but found no words escaping. He closed his mouth afterwards, only to open it a moment later.

"What do you..?"

"I saw it. Camelot and all that you did. I saw it, just like I saw the great purge before it happened."

"Why are you helping me? I hurt so many people.. I deserve to be captured, don't I?"

"You can not stay, boy." Jonathan finally spoke. "You must go back." the old man added.

"If they capture you, you won't be able to return to where you came from. Therefore, we decided that it was best if we kept you out of the village today. Things will remain wrong, if you don't return.. And we hope to see magic allowed, before we pass on." Margareth elaborated.

Merlin's gaze trailed towards Jonathan.

"Do you.. have it too?" The old man nodded. This was mind blowing to say the least. He had known these people since before he left Ealdor to stay with Gaius.

"So you left together, before the purge happened.. You could've warned people. You could've saved so many lives.." Merlin murmured.

"We tried. But it is not easy for people to forsake everything, over something that has yet to happen. I do not believe people expected Uther to do what he did."

"You are right.. I'm sorry, for putting you in this mess." Merlin apologized.

"You should remain indoors for a while. I think the patrol may be passing through very soon. I don't think they will stop by here so you should be safe with us for now. I'll prepare something for us to eat, so you just rest."

He nodded and leaned back in the chair, his gaze trailing towards his hands as he took a deep breath.

His head was still throbbing, and his body was still aching, and he couldn't help, but to wonder what had happened. Had things gone terribly wrong in the other world?


	24. Chapter 23

_He nodded and leaned back in the chair, his gaze trailing towards his hands as he took a deep breath._

 _His head was still throbbing, and his body was still aching, and he couldn't help, but to wonder what had happened. Had things gone terribly wrong in the other world?_

A few hours has passed since he awoke from his collapse. Margareth had cooked them food, which they had eaten, although Merlin had struggled to keep the food down, due to a nauseous feeling in his gut. In the end, he had only eaten half of what he had been given. He had nodded off for half an hour, only to wake up at the sound of the front door creaking open. He caught a glimpse of Jonathan's back, as he left the house, Margareth remaining at the house with him.

As he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and pushed himself up to a sit, he released a soft yawn. His gaze trailed about their house. His gaze eventually found Margareth, seated in a chair, with a book resting in her lap. It was the sound of his voice that drew the elderly womans attention towards him.

"Where is Jonathan going?" Merlin asked, his voice sounding oddly meek. "He is simply going up to the village, to see if they have passed through yet, or not." The woman spoke in return, her gaze meeting his, a small smile appearing on her face as she closed the book on a finger.

"I see.. " he murmured, before he continued, his interest being drawn towards the book. He rose to his feet as he spoke, waddling over towards Margareth despite the aches in his body. "What are you reading?"

The elderly woman peered down towards the book in her lap, before a hand moved on top of the book, as if to cover the title, though the gesture was subtle, and he couldn't quite decide if it had been intentional, or not. "It's nothing interesting." the woman replied, as she pushed herself to a stand. She folded the upper corner of the page she was on, before she carried it off towards the bookcase, where she returned it to where it had once stood. The backing of the book had no title.

He, for once in his life, did not feel the desire to pry, only casting a lingering gaze towards the book. "Right." He murmured again. His gaze returned to Margareth. "I don't think I thanked you for helping me today. Well, maybe I did.. But I don't think so. It's a bit of a blur. So, Thank you, Margareth. It means a lot to me, and I'm not sure I could ever repay you." He smiled towards her, and she smiled back at him.

"It was the least we could do. The best you could do to repay us for this, is to head back to where you came from." Merlin nodded in response to her reply. "I will.. Trust me, I will. It's just that.. how will things ever be as they were again? Half a year from now, I'm not sure there will be anything left for me to return to, and if there is.. How could I possibly repair the damage that has been done?" He bit back the tears that wished to appear as he murmured those words. He turned around, approaching the table, examining the vase with a few flowers closely. It was a decent enough distraction.

It held intricate patterns, molded into the clay while the vase was still being made. The curves of the spirals, leaves and flowers were all highlighted with a golden sheen, and the painted colors have grown pastel over the years. The flowers were half-withered, and absentmindedly, he placed a finger upon them and muttered a word underneath his breath. His eyes flashed golden, and the flowers regained life.

He found himself apologizing. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you with that. It's not your problem, but mine. You two have enough to worry about as it is."

"I want to hear what you need to say. I wish to know what it was like, where you are from, if you wouldn't mind. It may still be a little while before Jonathan returns, and I always did love stories." He had been wanting to talk about these things ever since he got to Ealdor, but his mother did not know the truth, and he was dead certain that she mustn't find out. He realized that he had nodded, and it did not take long before he was seated, with a cup of tea within his grasp.

"I'm not exactly sure of where I ought to begin." he eventually muttered, after having taken a sip of the tea. It seemed to calm the raging headache that had yet to leave him.

"Well, you could begin with your departure from Ealdor?" the woman suggested, and so he did.

He told her of his travels to Camelot, how he had seen an execution of an alleged sorcerer on his first day. Of how he met Gaius, and saved him from a fall with his magic. He spoke of how he met Arthur for the first time, and then eventually Gwen, after Gaius had pulled a few strings, which landed him in the pillory. He spoke of his first encounter with Morgana, in her chambers, and then about his first meeting with the dragon. He mentioned on the go all the times he had saved Arthur's life, the time Arthur had saved his, after he had been poisoned by Nimueh. He went through everything that had happened since his arrival in Camelot.

".. Morgana was a seer. She dreamt things, and after a while.. Well.. she lit her room on fire once, it turned out, and she even broke a vase. She was horrified. She went to Gaius, fearing that she had magic, and all he did was lie to her, and say that it wasn't the case, even though he knew it to be true." he paused momentarily.

"When she asked me, I told her. Gaius had told me to not say a word, but I knew what it was like, being in her shoes. I just didn't want her to feel like she was alone in all of this, so I told her about my own magic. She didn't believe it at first, she almost became angry with me. I ended up showing her by throwing a goblet across the room with a mere mutter. She cried after that, but she thanked me. I remember it like it was yesterday. I spent time with her after that, teaching her that magic could, and should be used for good, and that it was something beautiful, not something to be feared. It was like taking a heavy load off my back, even by telling just a single person about my magic. We were careful, but having someone else I did not have to hide and lie around.. It was incredible. It felt so good, being able to help someone with magic for once, instead of watching the injustice..

Gaius didn't know. She was angry with him at first, but after some convincing, she realized that the he only did what he thought was right." He grinned like a moron as he spoke about this bit, his chest filled with pride and a sense of accomplishment. He had been so angry with Gaius back then, and he had felt so sorry for Morgana. He simply couldn't stomach seeing her go through that alone. He knew that he had made the right decision.

"Though.. it didn't last long. Uther called for a Witchfinder. I had shown Morgana something in the woods, and some farmers had seen the result of it. Morgana was terrified beyond belief, but I tried to reassure her. The witchfinder arrested Gaius and interrogated him after finding a bracelet none of us owned. I don't know why, or how.. but somehow the bastard made Gaius confess to something that wasn't true. We were in the process of trying to expose the bastard for framing Gaius. We were onto something when Morgana came to me. She was in tears, practically panicking. Before I could stop her, she had thrown a bag into my arms, and pushed me down the hallway. I couldn't stop her from crying. She told me that they knew about my magic, and over and over she apologized as she sent me fleeing. I heard guards shouting as I fled the castle. I'm not sure what happened. I hid in Camelot for a while. Gaius was freed of all charges, but I was charged for sorcery, and became wanted man.." he paused again, taking a sip from his tea, which was now luke warm.

"A little while after, I met Morgause.. She was leaving the castle when I encountered her, we exchanged a few words, before we departed. She seemed to know things, and although she recognized me from the posters, she didn't turn me in. She only warned me that it was best to leave, before I was discovered, and she offered me to come with her. Of course I didn't listen." He took another sip of the tea, a sullen look appearing on his face.

"Arthur and a group of knights left Camelot some time later. That night was when I saw her for the first time, locked up in a cage during the cold night. She was a druid girl, and her name was Freya. I helped her escape. I just couldn't leave her there to die. I took her to my hiding spot, and gave her food to eat, and water to drink. She turned into a Bastet, but I managed to restrain her. The following morning, I had her tell me everything. She was so beautiful, lovely, sweet and kind, but she had been cursed. I promised that I would help her. I remember feeling resentment towards Uther and Arthur. Without even knowing her, they were going to kill her, and patrols were out searching for her. I made her flee from Camelot, but I promised that I'd meet her again and try and break her curse. A few days later she successfully fled." And then, his facial expression darkened considerably. Just the mere thought of what had happened next made hatred rise to the surface, causing it to boil deeply in his chest.

"And then.. Arthur returned" he stated, spitting the words like they were poison. "They had mother. Uther sentenced her to die.. for acts of sorcery.. You know mother, she isn't a sorcerer.. I went there to stop them, before they could kill her.. But I was too late.. I saw Arthur.. his blade coming down to my mother's neck.. There was so much blood.. and he didn't even get a clean cut.. I could hear her gasping all the way from the crowd.." he stated. His words were now filled with hatred, yet, he was nearly at the brink of tears. He felt a hand upon his shoulder.

"They all just stood there.. all of them, except Morgana.. watching my mother die. Everything after is a blur. I found Morgause afterwards and went with her. She promised she would help me, and she listened.. She has done more for me.. than anyone could ever know.." he let out, gritting his teeth.

"We traveled for a few days, dodging patrols and bandits, until we reached a house which stood alone without any other buildings or towns nearby. Morgause had stayed there for a while in the past, and it was a good place to get some rest. We spoke a lot, and eventually we reached the conclusion that people will magic will never be safe, unless they are surrounded by their own kind.. That's when we decided to start building the Sanctuary. It started with a few houses and a family or two, and then it just naturally grew as people came there from all parts of the world. Once we realized the potential this had, we started planning the layout of the Sanctuary, so that our kind would be best protected against those who wish to harm us. We made the inner district first, and built walls around it, but as more and more people came, we had no choice but to build even more. That's when Camelot attacked for the first time, and for the first time since the great purge, sorcerers managed to hold their ground against the knights of Camelot. We lost people, but those who survived only grew stronger in their resolve. We started to build a secon-" he was cut off, as the door shot open, Jonathan barging inside. He slammed the door shut and locked it with a swift incantation.

"You must leave, now. They're here."  
"What do you mean, they are here?" Margareth asked, removing her hand from Merlin's shoulder, as she shot up to her feet. Merlin shot up to his feet as well, although the sudden movement made him lightly dizzy. Mild panic was beginning to spread across his face.  
"The Camelot Patrol. They're on their way here."  
"I should have known.. If they couldn't find him in the village, they would search the nearby houses and farmsteads.. How far away, Jonathan?" Margareth questioned further"A few minutes at most." he stated, walking to a window, where he pulled aside the curtains. Merlin had a look of disbelief. He had though that he'd be safe from the patrol, but in the end, his presence had now put Jonathan and Margareth in danger. What if they were found out? His gaze trailed around the house, and the closer he looked, the more magical artifacts he noticed placed here and there. None of them really stood out, but to anyone who knew a thing or two about magic, they'd be recognizable. His gaze also searched for an escape route, except for the obvious front door, which was now locked. There were a few windows he could possibly escape through. But before he had the time to finish exploring that idea, Jonathan spoke once more.

"I take that back. They are here."


	25. Chapter 24

_Merlin had a look of disbelief. He had though that he'd be safe from the patrol, but in the end, his presence had now put Jonathan and Margareth in danger. What if they were found out? His gaze trailed around the house, and the closer he looked, the more magical artifacts he noticed placed here and there. None of them really stood out, but to anyone who knew a thing or two about magic, they'd be recognizable. His gaze also searched for an escape route, except for the obvious front door, which was now locked. There were a few windows he could possibly escape through. But before he had the time to finish exploring that idea, Jonathan spoke once more._

 _"I take that back. They are here."_

Merlin was about to scurry towards the window to have a look himself, but he was hindered by a well-placed hand against his chest from Jonathan. "No." the elderly man spoke, his gaze then trailing towards Margareth. His facial expression seemed to change. It softened in a way, but Merlin simply could not put a finger on it. There was a feeling of sadness to his gaze, for a reason he could not quite understand, as the elderly man brought him towards his wife.

The room was silent, the silence only interrupted by the metallic sounds outside of the house. A sound which was made from the armor of the knights.

Jonathan stepped away from him, his hands raising up towards Margareth's face, cupping each side of it in his grasp. The man kissed the woman upon the forehead, before he muttered words that Merlin's ears were barely able to pick up from where he stood.

"Take him below. If it doesn't go well, do not wait for me." the elderly man had spoken, having established eye-contact with the woman. The look upon Margareth's face was what made it dawn on him. The woman looked defeated, as she took a hold of Jonathan's hand, cupping it between hers. With a tilt of her head, her forehead rested against his chest. Her knuckles were turning white as she squeezed his hand tightly, to the point where it would surely be painful, but pain did not show on the man's face.

Then there was banging at the door, sounds of metal impacting wood.

"Open the door. We are searching for a fugitive of the law, It should not take long." a voice spoke, the sound muffled as it passed through the wood.

Briefly, Jonathan directed his gaze towards the door, only to return it to Margareth a moment later.

"Come with us, Jonathan. They do not know we are home" the woman whispered, which warranted a simple reply. "They saw me, but they have not seen you." he had whispered in return. His un-squeezed hand moved to her chin, lifting the womans head up from his chest.

"You must go. Take him with you now. This does not have to end bad. Stop taking sorrows in advance, dear." He added. As there was pounding at the door once again, his gaze returned to the door.

"In a moment!" he called out to the knights.

Jonathan ushered Maragareth and Merlin forwards, threw a rug aside, which revealed a cellar door. In a smooth motion, the door was opened. For a brief moment, Jonathan's expression changed. His wife did not notice, but Merlin did. The elderly man understood the severity of the situation, much better than himself and Margareth. There was this look in his eyes, in the moment that passed, a tiredness he would not come to understand until much later, if ever. Jonathan looked tired and old, but he also seemed to be at peace. He was overwhelmingly calm, where his wife was turning more into a mess for every passing moment.

"Jonathan.. come with us." Margareth pleaded one last time, on the brink of tears, as she was half-way down to the cellar. The pounding at the door intensified. "I can't. But don't worry. I'll be fine." He replied. With a nod, Margareth continued the climb down. She surely knew, that things weren't going to be fine.

Merlin felt a tight grip on his upper arm, which held enough force to leave a bruise.

"You did this. It is your fault, and she is your responsibility now. Do you understand, boy?"Jonathan hissed towards him in the form of a whisper. When the man looked towards him, all he saw was an expression of resentment. Merlin tried to object.

"You go with her, I'll hold them off. It is me they are looking for, not you." Merlin whispered in response, guilt striking deep within his gut.

"You're a fugitive, and you've been with us. Our magic will get us both killed, and they will know of it. If you are caught, all hope is gone. Things will never be normal again. This is the only way. Now go, boy. You will Keep her safe, and then go back to where you came from. Swear to me, boy. Swear that you will."

"I swear.." Merlin whispered back, before he reluctantly obeyed the elderly man. He had fully realized that his actions had directly caused this series of events to unfold. He was also painfully aware of what would could quite possibly happen next. He climbed down into the cellar, and Jonathan closed the cellar door above his head. The last streaks of light were blocked out as the rug must've been moved to cover the door.

Margareth was silently sobbing in the darkness, and Merlin absentmindedly embraced the woman as he intently listened to the sounds above, although they were muffled.

He heard Jonathan's steps across the floor, in the direction of the door. The creaking of the door sounded next, and then muffled voices. Metallic sounds were heard entering the house, a multitude of footsteps accompanying them. More muffled voices. They continued to walk about the house. He heard a table being moved, and something dropping, shattering on the floor. The water that eventually leaked through the floorboards made it evident that it was the old vase he had looked at not long before. There were a few words exchanged, which he could make out a bit more clearly now, as they were almost directly above their heads. It sounded like an apology, likely for the vase that broke. Jonathan seemed to dismiss it as being nothing. The sounds of the knights shifted around as they continued to search, until footsteps were heard directly on the cellar door. It creaked underneath the weight of the knight in armor, and budged ever so lightly.

There were a few footsteps again, and then suddenly streaks of light entered the cellar from above. The rug must've been removed. He held his breath, as he heard metal move, as the knight above must've grasped for the metal ring, in order to pull open the cellar door.

"We must go.." Margareth whispered in a defeated manner, the elderly woman grasping a hold of Merlin's arm as she begun to move through the darkness, and without objection, he followed. As soon as they started to move, sounds of combat begun to spread through the house above. He heard words of magic being shouted, and the sound of metal hitting wood as knights were undoubtedly thrown away. He heard wood shattering, the metallic sound of swords being drawn, the jumbled shouts of the knights. The elderly woman seemed to have come to terms with what was about to happen, although that was most likely not going to numb her grief.

As they begun to move through a tunnel underground, away from the house, he heard a shout of pain, accompanied by a soft thud, not a metallic one. In the distance he saw the cellar door crack open, and thus he, with the mutter of a word, made the entrance to the tunnel behind them collapse in on itself.

Margareth slipped on the slippery dirt of the tunnel floor, finding support on Merlin. The tunnel smelled like damp earth, and he could hear the sound of critters ahead. Most likely groundhogs and mice. It was cold down here, and he could feel goosebumps spread across his arms, and soon enough, he begun to shudder.

The elderly woman fumbled through the darkness, eventually finding a small box near the ground, where she hunched down. They spent a few moments in pitch black darkness and silence, before the woman had successfully lit a torch. He could have easily done it, had he been asked, however, Margareth seemed to be in her own world now, barely noticing his presence.

The torch lit up the tunnel, revealing that it was only tall enough for the average man to pass through upright, and that the entire tunnel system seemed to be supported by roots, of unknown origins. He suspected that magic had a hand in the creation of this tunnel, and its support system, and that this may have been constructed over several years. He assumed that it was an escape tunnel, in case they were discovered and cornered. It had likely been made right after the purge, when Uther's war against magic had been at it's peak. What else could this tunnel have been for? He felt both sad and angered at his fact, that his kind needed to take such precautions, even if they had never done anything wrong.

It didn't seem like there had been anyone down here for ages, as parts of the tunnel had half-way crumbled in on itself, and in other places, roots had grown rampant. A guilty voice in his head told him that they most likely didn't think they'd ever need to use it, which would've been true, if not for his mistakes. He was, after all, the reason for why the knights had come to Ealdor, and the reason for why Margareth and Jonathan had decided to help him. It would've been easier for them to not have done anything. If only he had Morgause with him, six months ago, then he'd never have marched on Camelot like he did, and then none of this would've happened. And even if it had, Morgause would've had a way to resolve this situation, without Jonathan's sacrifice. She always knew what to do.

Moving forwards took some time, and through the entire walk, the once chatterbox Margareth did not speak a single word. They reached a ladder, and Merlin climbed up first, opened the door above, and then helped Margareth climb out. The light was immensely bright at first, until his eyes started to adapt. It took a moment for him to realize where they were. They were a distance into the forest which was not far from Margareth and Jonathan's house, and far in the distance, he was able to discern that there was smoke rising. He wasn't sure if it had been the Knight's doing, or Jonathan's, but he assumed the latter.

His first instinct was to head back to his Mother, and bring Margareth with him, explain what had happened, and that he was alive, but that he needed to leave, but reason told him otherwise. The knights were likely still in Ealdor, and undoubtedly, they'd remain for a while. He didn't want to put his mother at risk, by her knowing that he was still alive. It may be best, that she assumed him to have died in the fire for now. He could send a letter to her in the future.

However, he now stood at a loss, unsure of what he ought to do. Heading to Ealdor had been such an easy decision in the first place, but now, there were no more easy decisions to be made. Not seeing his mother again had also been a relatively easy choice, because the outcome of doing it would be so clear.

Over the years, even after the construction of the Sanctuary, he had become accustomed to Morgause and more recently the council having all the answers. Back then, all he needed was to look to them, and they were sure to have an answer for any hard choices that had to be made.

But now, Jonathan had left him responsible for his wife, right before he had sacrificed his life in order to give them both the time to escape. The realization of the responsibility that was now on his shoulders left him even more indecisive. Had he only been responsible for himself, then the stakes would not have been so high, but now he had someone's life in his hands. He could not make reckless choices. He didn't want to burden Margareth more, and therefore he had no one he could turn to for guidance.

 _'Come on.. Think, you have to think. What should you do now? Mother can not help you, and Margareth is a mess. Where should we go? What should be our next course of action? Come on.. Think! Think! If only Morgause was here.. then things would be okay. She'd know what to do, like always'_ His mind raced, the tips of his fingers drumming repeatedly against his forehead as he walked back and forth.

Had he become too dependent? Had he lived too comfortably in the past? This entire predicament was truly all his fault. That conclusion was simple for him to reach. And yet, he had no answers that could resolve this, all he could think of was how much he missed, and needed Morgauses guidance.

"Come, Merlin. Let us go." were the words that brought him out of his mind. It had been Margareth that had spoken. She seemed to have aged ten years, during the last twenty minutes. Though it seemed like the elderly woman had made the decision for him. "Sure!" Merlin quickly responded, eager to follow without question, almost sounding a little too relieved at the fact that someone had a plan. He mentally scolded himself for it. Since when had he grown so dependent on others?  
"Where are we going?" he quickly added, as if to correct his previous response.

"To my niece. Her home is closer than my other relatives. It should be a few days travel." she answered. She sounded so tired. The look on her face made it clear that her mind wished to be elsewhere, but that she forced herself to be present. She was taking care of him, even after all that had happened. She had the answers, where he had none.

And then it dawned upon him, that after he had met Morgause, he had never made a decision on his own, nor had he had an answer that was his own. At the time, it had sounded like it had been him, after all, the words had come from his mouth, with his voice. But the short time he spent alone with Jonathan, and then the time now, with Margareth, added with the time he was spending without Morgause, the more he was beginning to realize, that his voice and his words had not been his, for the longest of time.

He had been so dependent upon Morgause, after she took him in following his mother's death. He had been afraid to make mistakes, that could unleash Camelots wrath upon others he still cared for, and then Morgause had offered the resolutions that never seemed to go wrong. Everytime he had tried to make a choice on his own early on, it had always seemed to fail, and then she was the one that fixed everything, and made it all good again. He couldn't remember what the last decision he made all on his own had been.  
He knew that he despised Arthur and Uther for what they did, but why had he hated Gwen and Gaius for it as well? Logic should have told him that they'd be helpless against Uther's command.. So why had he blamed them all this time? And why had he blamed and hated the knights, who likely did not even know the reason for why they were getting his Mother? And even if they did, they'd have no choice but to follow the orders they were given. And those orders would have come from Arthur and Uther directly. He could no longer understand why he had hated them all so much, and why he had allowed it to grow the way it had. As time had passed, shouldn't his rage had mellowed enough for him to differentiate between who was to blame, and who had been powerless to stop it?

And that made him wonder, if he really had thoughts and feelings that were his own, or if they had all been echoes, left behind by Morgause when he was at his most vulnerable. And if that was the case, how on earth was he going to find his own voice and opinions again, when he was already so lost?

He felt like a fool, and he felt betrayed.. And he was beginning to question everything.


	26. Chapter 25

_They were traveling through the woods, just the two of them. Arthur dismounts his horse, and he followed his lead, sliding off his horse as well, his feet touching onto the ground below. He lingers back as Arthur ties his horse to a nearby tree, watching the man from a distance as he walked ahead, examining his surroundings. Eventually it seemed as though he found something, kneeling down in order to have a look._

 _"Merlin! Here." Arthur called out towards him. He approached, glancing curiously in the same direction as the king. "It's all about staying alert. What do you see?" Arthur followed up. Without much thought he responded._

 _"I see a pair of breeches that need cleaning" his voice carrying a bit of a sulking tone to it. Arthur rose up to his feet, placing a hand upon his shoulder to guide him closer to what he had found. "Come and have a look." Arthur had muttered. He took a step closer, annoyedly slapping at a branch as he remained in a rather sulky mood. "Closer." the king spoke, and with a forceful shove, Arthur sent him down onto a knee in a pile of soggy mud, effectively soiling his breeches as well. He let out a small sigh of frustration directly after the shove._

 _"Now what do you see?" Arthur asked him. He slapped some of the mud off his breeches as he rose to his feet.  
"Brilliant.. Two pairs of breeches that need cleaning." His 'I don't want to be here right now' sulky mood didn't seem to be going anywhere.  
"On the branch" Arthur pointed out, and almost before he had managed to finish speaking, he annoyedly responded with the obvious. "It's broken"_

 _"What does that tell you?"Arthur questioned on, and with a breath of air being released, he responded back. "Something left the trail." he said while simultaneously lifting his gaze from the branch, directing it into the forest. He noticed something that Arthur clearly hadn't._

 _"It's recent" Arthur stated._

 _"An animal" he plainly responded, not taking his eyes of what he had discovered._

 _"You think so?"_

 _"A deer." he stated in the form of an answer._

 _"Would have to be a big one" Arthur interjected, still busy with studying the branch he had discovered to even glance up._

 _"With very big antlers" he was quick to add in, which warranted a swift reply from the king._

 _"What makes you say that?"_

 _"Because it's looking at us."_

 _At that statement, Arthur lifted his gaze, only to notice the deer that had been standing there for a pretty decent amount of time. He couldn't help himself but to mockingly reiterate the words Arthur had spoken to him only moments before._

 _"It's.. all about keeping alert." He couldn't help but to feel a small sense of satisfaction at that development._

The ruckus and sounds of his surroundings snapped him out of his momentarily dreamlike state. His body felt heavy and his mind jumbled. His eyes cracked open briefly, his vision passing over fighting which was taking place in the distance. He heard the sound of spells being shouted, and metal clashing. His conscious state did not last long before he drifted off once more. He hadn't even managed to see the person who was dragging him away from the source of the fighting. All he had managed to gather was that everyone involved seemed to have their hands full.

 _He lifted his gaze in awe as he moved himself across the drawbridge, passing a crowd of people. So this was the castle. It was huge and full of people. He carried on with a jump to his step, adjusting his knapsack as he moved himself into the courtyard, where a large crowd had gathered. There seemed to be something going on, and curious as he was he moved to enter the crowds in order to have a look at what was happening. It did not take long before he realized that this was an execution. His gaze trailed, finding the king standing on the balcony above the courtyard._

 _"Let this serve as a lesson to all. This man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. And, pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass." The King, Uther Pendragon spoke, as he lowered his hand, signaling for the executioner to take the head off the man who seemed to have been convicted of sorcery. He was shocked, and at the same time frightened._

 _"When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired in chaos, but with the people's help magic was driven from the realm. So I declare a festival to celebrate twenty years since the Great Dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Let the celebrations begin." Uther carried on, only a mere moment after he had sentenced a man to die. No sooner than he had finished his speech, an elderly woman wailed towards him._

 _"There is only one evil in this land, and it is not magic! It is you! With your hatred and your ignorance! You took my son! And I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a son for a son!"_

 _No sooner than she had spoken, Uther barked out a command to the guards._

 _"Seize her!" And as soon as that had been done, the elderly, grieving woman chanted a spell, which caused her to disappear in a whirlwind of smoke and dust._

 _He couldn't help but to wonder what he had gotten himself into._

His ears picked up on the sound of his name being called out towards him, and slowly he was roused. He was still being dragged, but his ears heard no sounds of combat any longer. His head moved lightly, and half-lidded, his eyes shifted around, seeing blurry images of people rapidly approaching his way. The voice that was calling his name carried a tone of desperation and panic. He could have swore that he had heard the voice before. It sounded so familiar to him. He then noticed that he was no longer on the ground, but that he was held up and supported by someone, and that someone seemed to be desperately trying to get away from those who were approaching. He tried to do.. something, but he found himself unable, his own body failing him. Before he managed to make sense of anything, black specs spread across his field of vision, before it faded off to black once more. His ears picked up on sounds for a little while longer, but they were all a jumbled mess..

 _"Are you saying I look like a toad?"Arthur questioned, looking rather confused and displeased at his previous statement._

 _"Yeah, and maybe one day you will magically turn into a handsome prince.. It's just magic's out, so that will probably never happen. Come on, let's go" he murmured back in response, just wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible, beginning to walk away._

 _"Merlin." Arthur let out, causing him to turn heel and walk a few steps back, irritably casting a glance in his direction, feeling generally upset at the entire situation they had been in._

 _"What?" he muttered, not even bothering to fully enunciate the word, simply eager to get a move on._

 _"I'm the one who gives the orders, remember?" Arthur carried on to remind him, which simply warranted a nod, a brief sigh and a "Yeah.." before a momentary pause._

 _"You ready? Let's go." he spoke, turning to walk off once again._

He awoke once more as he dropped to the ground with a thud. It couldn't have been long, but now, as he cracked his eyes open, the blurry figures were at his location. He heard a womans scream directly nearby him, and the sound of someone fighting back with all their might. The woman was begging for him to wake up. He managed to turn his head, glancing off in the direction of the sounds through half-lidded eyes. There were four blurry figures close. One of them seemed to be struggling against the three others. Her hair was brown, and the others wore red.. It took a moment before he realized who owned that voice. Weakly he managed to roll himself fully around onto his side, fully facing the group. He begun to murmur words, spells, as he helplessly attempted to fling the assailants away from the woman.

It hadn't been him that had done it, but in the blink of a moment, the three remaining red ravens were flung away from the woman, sent into a nearby building with a sickening sound. People flocked around her, as she had been rescued from the assailants, inadvertently blocking her from his sight.

A few individuals approached him rapidly, and he found his body being hoisted up, and his head supported. Yet another feminine voice called out his name, a hand gently patting at his cheek. The person was most likely attempting to get a response out him. His gaze shifted up, and his eyes landed on the face of Morgause, peering down at him. They were safe now, and as much as he hated admitting it, this woman had just saved his life, as well as Freya's. He was in her debt now, wasn't he?

Before he found the energy to speak, he found himself drifting off once more, as his vision faded to black.

* * *

 ****A/N: Back to First Merlin's storyline. I've decided that Good Merlin and Evil Merlin is no longer fitting, and therefore i'll be referencing them at First Merlin and Second Merlin, according to the order they appeared in the story. Hope this won't cause any confusion to those who've followed the story from the start**

 **Good Merlin=First Merlin  
Evil Merlin=Second Merlin** ******


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